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Apple Co-founder Steve Wozniak Warns of AI-Enabled Scams and Calls for Greater Regulation

Apple Co-founder Steve Wozniak Warns of AI-Enabled Scams and Calls for Greater Regulation

Steve Wozniak, the co-founder of Apple, has expressed concerns about the potential for artificial intelligence (AI) to facilitate convincing scams, according to a report by the BBC. In an interview with the BBC’s technology editor Zoe Kleinman, Wozniak discussed the need for increased regulation in the AI industry and highlighted the risks associated with advanced AI tools like OpenAI’s ChatGPT, which can generate highly intelligent-sounding text.

Wozniak emphasized that AI’s intelligence makes it susceptible to misuse by “bad actors” who aim to deceive individuals about their true identities. He stressed the importance of human accountability for content generated by AI, stating that individuals should take responsibility for anything AI produces and subsequently shares in the public domain.

The Silicon Valley veteran, who left Apple in 1985 but remained associated with the company until recently, expressed criticism of major tech firms and their role in AI development. He suggested that these companies may believe they can evade consequences for their actions.

Apple has not yet responded to requests for comment on Wozniak’s remarks concerning AI.

In March, Wozniak joined Elon Musk, Evan Sharp (co-founder of Pinterest), and other experts in signing an open letter calling for a six-month pause in the development of AI technology more advanced than OpenAI’s GPT-4. The letter raised concerns about the rapid and potentially uncontrolled deployment of AI tools that could pose risks to humanity’s future.

While Wozniak acknowledged the difficulty of halting the production of AI technology, he emphasized the need for better consumer awareness. By being well-informed about AI capabilities, individuals can better identify and protect themselves against malicious scams.

Apple's Strategic Approach to AI Tim Cook's Insights on the Potential and Caution

Apple’s Strategic Approach to AI: Tim Cook’s Insights on the Potential and Caution

During a recent discussion, Apple CEO Tim Cook expressed his perspective on the rapidly growing field of artificial intelligence (AI) and how Apple aims to establish its presence within it. Cook acknowledged the immense potential of AI, describing it as “huge.” However, he emphasized the importance of approaching AI with thoughtfulness and caution.

Cook highlighted Apple’s significant progress in integrating AI and machine learning across their ecosystem, incorporating these technologies into their products and features for many years. One such feature he mentioned was Fall Detection in Apple Watches, which can identify when a user has experienced a severe fall and facilitate a connection to emergency services.

Additionally, Cook referenced Crash Detection, a feature integrated into specific models of iPhone and Apple Watch, which helps detect vehicle collisions. Another AI-powered feature he mentioned was ECG, which records the electrical signals responsible for the heartbeat’s timing and strength, further showcasing the potential of AI in improving health monitoring.

According to Cook, these AI-driven features not only offer valuable functionality but also contribute to saving lives. While Apple typically refrains from commenting on specific product roadmaps, Cook hinted at the company’s intention to thoughtfully incorporate AI into future products.

As the AI landscape continues to evolve rapidly, Apple remains committed to leveraging these technologies in a deliberate and responsible manner. Cook’s remarks reflect the company’s emphasis on harnessing AI’s potential to deliver innovative experiences while prioritizing user safety and well-being.

Apple’s quarterly revenue – $94.8 billion

Announcing financial results for the second quarter of 2023 in a conference call, Apple had a quarterly revenue of 94.8 billion dollars, which the company said was better than its expectations.

“We are pleased to report an all-time record in Services and a March quarter record for iPhone despite the challenging macroeconomic environment and to have our installed base of active devices reach an all-time high,” said Cook.

“We continue to invest for the long term and lead with our values, including making major progress toward building carbon-neutral products and supply chains by 2030.”

Rivian Developing 'Apple Watch As A Key' Feature, Native Apple Music Integration

Rivian Developing ‘Apple Watch As A Key’ Feature, Native Apple Music Integration

While Rivian isn’t working on CarPlay support, the EV maker is planning a few other features that Apple fans will appreciate. In a recent Q&A session this week, Rivian’s head of software development, Wassym Bensaid, revealed that the company is actively testing support for allowing Apple Watch to serve as a key for R1T and R1S vehicles.

Rivian talks Apple Watch integration, Apple Music, and more

According to a user on the Rivian Forums, Bensaid said during the Q&A session that support for “Apple Watch as a key is being actively looked into/tested” and is on the company’s “roadmap” for a future software update.

No further details on this feature or timeline were shared. Apple offers its own Car Key feature, but it’s unclear if Rivian would adopt this or develop its own custom solution.

Also during the event, Bensaid elaborated more on Rivian’s decision not to support CarPlay. This follows a recent interview with Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe, in which he explained that RIvian’s decision not to use CarPlay is driven by its desire to be the “arbiter or head chef” of the in-car software experience.

Bensaid added to this explanation by saying Rivian is working to natively integrate some of the features that CarPlay would offer, including improved support for notifications and text messages. The company is also working to improve its own voice assistant, which Bensaid acknowledges is “not the best.”

We know that text messaging is really one of the important features and one of the reasons of why customers are missing CarPlay, we’re working on that. I think those of you who already have an R1T on an R1S, you know that our voice assistant today is not the best. I’m being super transparent with you. So we’re working also on a number of changes and updates there.

So we’re taking it step by step. First, improve the voice assistant experience as a whole. And then after that, we will integrate the messaging experience.

Finally, Bensaid confirmed that the company is working on integrating new audio and video streaming services with its own infotainment system. This would include things like Apple Music and Netflix, though Bensaid stopped short of saying too much on the subject because “it’s companies who have very big confidentiality requirements.”

Rivian also shared a video on YouTube with parts of the Q&A session, though it doesn’t seem to include the entire event. You can check that out below.

YouTube TV, 'Major Update' for Apple TV

YouTube TV, ‘Major Update’ for Apple TV

Google’s YouTube TV is rolling out several updates, including improvements to picture quality and a “major” update for Apple TV users.

In a post on the YouTube TV subreddit, a YouTube Community Manager details what updates YouTube TV has ongoing at the moment, which includes rounding up some previously detailed bits of information. For one, the post reiterates that Multiview is now available to YouTube TV subscribers following March Madness, with “improvements” set to be coming ahead of the NFL season.

On that note, the post also reiterates Google’s launch of NFL Sunday Ticket presale on YouTube TV, including the discounts subscribers are eligible for. More interesting, though, is the mention of a “major update” now rolling out to YouTube TV subscribers on Apple TV.

This update, v1.13, takes aim at fixing long-standing YouTube TV issues on Apple TV including the black screen at start-up, addressing 4K playback issues, as well as turning on HDR support. The post also states that a new app update, which will fix the crashing issue on first-generation Apple TV 4K units, is hitting the App Store imminently.

Lastly, the YouTube TV team confirms that they are implementing changes to transcoding, which involves increasing the bitrate for 1080p content. This change is expected to result in improved picture quality for most users, but is currently being tested only on devices that support VP9 and high-speed internet. While these enhancements to picture quality are still in the testing phase, they may become permanent over the summer.

The post also briefly mentions a 5.1 surround sound syncing issue that many subscribers have run into, with YouTube TV teams preparing a fix.

Apple scraps plans for 27-inch display with mini-LED

Apple scraps plans for 27-inch display with mini-LED

Apple has scrapped its plans to release a standalone 27-inch display with mini-LED and ProMotion technology, a new report says. This display was first rumored to launch sometime in the summer of 2022 but has faced a number of delays since then.

In a new post to subscription followers on Twitter, reliable analyst Ross Young says that Apple shipped “some panels” for this display last year. Since then, however, the company has reportedly “killed off” the display for the time being.

Although some panels were shipped last year, Apple killed off the 27″ MiniLED display, at least for now.

The first rumors on Apple’s higher-end Studio Display spinoff suggested it could be released in the summer of 2022. The display was then pushed back, with Apple allegedly targeting an October 2022 release. As it became increasingly clear that Apple wouldn’t make that October deadline, Ross Young then said that Apple was targeting a Q1 2023 release. 

Most recently, Young reported in February that the display had been hit with even more delays. He explained at the time that there wasn’t any evidence of mass production within Apple’s supply chain.

As it stands today, Apple sells two different external monitors, the Studio Display and the Pro Display XDR. 9to5Mac has reported that Apple is developing a new external display with a 7K resolution. The current Pro Display XDR has a 32-inch 6K (6016 x 3384) panel with 218 pixels per inch.

It remains to be seen what Apple’s plans for its external displays are at this point. Bloomberg did recently report, however, that Apple is prepping “multiple new external monitors” with Apple Silicon inside.

Apple Files Patent for Newer Version Of The iPod

Apple Files Patent for Newer Version Of The iPod

Apple has recently filed a patent with the U.S. Patent Office for a device that is very reminiscent of the iPod. The device is meant do everything a smartphone does without the annoying calls and texts interfering with the user experience.

It can contain music, videos and books. It seems the main notable difference to the old iPhone is that it can host wireless earbuds. That’s definitely an improvement over the older model and a feature worth having.

However, thus far there is no news on whether the device will come to market. It is still for now just a patent and many patents never see the light of day.

Apple could indeed be trying to stop the competition from ever inventing anything that could cut into the company’s market share.

In July of 2017, Apple officially killed off the iPod Shuffle and Nano. The company stated at the time :”Today, we are simplifying our iPod lineup with two models of iPod touch now with double the capacity starting at just $199 and we are discontinuing the iPod shuffle and iPod nano.”

A top-secret iPod mission

However, in August of 2020, news surfaced of the firm working with the government to build a top-secret iPod. A former Apple software engineer, who worked for the company for 18 years, shared the story of how Apple helped a U.S. Department of Energy contractor modify a 5th-generation iPod to secretly record and store data.

The events took place in 2005 when the engineer was approached by the director of iPod software to try “help two engineers from the U.S. Department of Energy build a special iPod.” The secret iPod was to be developed right under Steve Jobs’ nose, with only four individuals being aware of the project at that time.

Users of iPhones have been issued an urgent warning by Apple.

Apple informed Millions of iPhone customers of a pop-up notification that occurs when water is found in the device’s charging port. If you will Ignore the notification it will cause the pins on the Lightning port or the cable to corrode, and the result will be permanent damage or connectivity issues.

Two types of notifications you’ll find there, that will have a  yellow warning triangle and a blue water drop inside.

The first message informs you that “Charging Not Available,” while the second message informs you that “Liquid Detected in Lightning Connector.” Except in extreme cases, it is critical not to ignore both notifications.

If you want to dry your iPhone Apple has some suggestions, such as lightly tapping it with the Lightning connector facing down to remove any excess liquid and placing it in a dry place with adequate airflow, and waiting about 30 minutes before charging it again.

If that notification appears again on the screen, that means that there is still liquid present, so you have to leave the iPhone in a dry place with some airflow for up to a day before charging or connecting a Lightning accessory.

Apple warns against using external heat sources or compressed air to dry out the iPhone and discourages inserting foreign objects into the Lightning port, such as cotton swabs or paper towels.

It is also advised not to put the iPhone in a bag of rice because this can cause damage to the device.

Apple’s Siri Might Soon Get Technology Similar to Chat-GPT

Apple’s Siri was introduced in 2011 with iPhone 4S. Since the launch of Siri, Apple has incorporated new features and surprised its customer base. Recently the news is that it will get a complete makeover, as the company is working on its natural language, which might give Siri ChatGPT-like abilities. 

Apple’s Siri Will Have ChatGPT-like Features

The rise in OpenAI’s ChatGPT is miles ahead of the competition, which has forced Google and Apple to reinvent their AI. This has encouraged Apple to try new ChatGPT-like features. The underutilized assistant, Siri, will get natural language generation capabilities, which will be a major turn-up for the company. The company has already incorporated a new feature in Apple TV – the streaming box. The new feature allows Siri to crack jokes and potentially set timers using AI features. 

However, the tvOS 16.4 beta upgrade is only available for developers. The general public will soon be able to avail of the feature and test it by signing up for Apple’s beta software program. However, in the coming days, Siri can be accessed with natural languages on several devices such as iPhones, iPads, and Macs. 

Google has also launched its “BARD” to compete against OpenAI’s ChatGPT – which has opened up to trusted testers before the company reveals it widely to the public. 

Recently, OpenAI has said that the launch of ChatGPT and GPT-4 is the start of an era of huge technological empowerment. It also set the stage for human-like technology to compete with Microsoft Corp. and Alphabet Inc’s Google. 

Unlike ChatGPT or GPT-4, Apple’s Siri will offer a more humane touch because of its speech feature. It is also said the capability will be limited only to Siri. However, there is no update on the feature launch as the concern grows over AI’s potential harm. Hopefully, we will hear the news soon and see the hype.