1 844.742.7448

Email Us

Remote Support

Contact

Posts tagged "coming"

  1. Home
  2. Posts tagged coming

Apple says AI features are coming to your iPhone ‘later this year’ – here’s what to expect
  • No Comments

For the past year or two, the world has watched as a string of incredible artificial intelligence (AI) tools have appeared, and everyone has been wondering one thing: when will Apple join the party? Now, we finally have an answer.

On a recent earnings call (via The Verge), Apple CEO Tim Cook revealed that AI tools are coming to the company’s devices as soon as “later this year.” Cook then added that “I think there’s a huge opportunity for Apple with generative AI.” While the Apple chief didn’t reveal any specifics, the small amount he did discuss has already been enough to get tongues wagging and for speculation to run riot.

It’s no surprise that Apple is working on generative AI tools – Cook admitted as much back in August 2023, when he explained that Apple has been developing its own generative AI “for years.” But the latest admission is the first time we’ve seen anyone put a launch date on things, even if it is a very rough date.

Given that this is a software update (and a big one at that), it seems likely that Apple has is its Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in mind. The company will use this June event to unveil its upcoming operating systems and software upgrades (like iOS 18). And with its audience mostly comprised of developers, it makes sense for Apple to tease something like generative AI that could give devs a new tool in their iOS arsenal.

As well as that, industry analyst Jeff Pu has previously claimed that iOS 18 will be one of Apple’s biggest software updates ever precisely because of its inclusion of generative AI, so Cook’s statements seem to confirm Pu’s claim. That means there could be a lot to look forward to at WWDC – and some big new features coming to your iPhone.

What's en route?

The most likely upgrade that Cook is referring to is a rebooted version of Apple's Siri voice assistant. Bloomberg's reliable Apple commentator Mark Gurman recently predicted that iOS 18 will be “one of the biggest iOS updates – if not the biggest – in the company's history” and that this will be largely tied to a “big upgrade to Siri”.

According to another respected leaker Revegnus, Apple is building a proprietary LLM (large language model) to “completely revamp Siri into the ultimate virtual assistant”. It's about time – while Siri was impressive when it landed over a decade ago, it's since plateaued. So we can expect a much more conversational, and powerful, voice assistant by the end of 2024.

Close-up of the Siri interface

(Image credit: Shutterstock / Tada Images)

But what else might benefit from the generative AI that Apple's been working on? Messages, Apple Music and Pages are all expected to receive significant AI-based improvements later this year, with some of Apple's rivals recently giving us hints of what to expect. Google Messages will soon get added Bard powers for texting help, while Spotify has already shown that the future of streaming is AI-powered DJs.  

Lastly, there's photography and video, but it seems likely that Apple will tread more carefully than Samsung and Google here. The Galaxy S24 cameras are all about AI skills, which are something of a mixed bag. While Instant Slow-Mo (which generates extra frames of video to turn standard 4K/60p video into slow motion clips) is very clever and useful, Generative Edit opens the floodgates to digital fakery (even with its watermarks).

It'll be fascinating to see how Apple treads this line across all aspects of the iPhone. But one other key iPhone feature, privacy, could also put the brakes on Apple getting too carried away with generative AI… 

Why Apple is taking its time

Siri

(Image credit: Unsplash [Omid Armin])

Apple has been consistently criticized for not launching its own generative AI, especially as arch-rival Microsoft has been so decisive in spreading its Copilot AI to almost every aspect of Windows and its own apps.

But there’s a likely reason for Apple’s sluggishness, and it comes down to user privacy. Apple takes a strong stance on this, and often touts its devices’ privacy-protecting capabilities as one of their main benefits. AI tools are known to sweep up user data and have been known for their privacy compromises, so it’s no surprise that Apple has taken its time here, presumably to ensure its AI is as pro-privacy as possible.

As well as that, Apple doesn’t usually rush into a new market before it is ready, instead preferring to wait a little longer before blowing its rivals away with something it thinks is far superior. We saw that with the original iPhone, for example, and also with the Apple Vision Pro, and it seems that generative AI is just the latest thing to get this treatment from Apple.

Whether Apple’s own AI actually is better than the likes of ChatGPT and Copilot remains to be seen, but it looks like we’ll find out sooner rather than later.

You might also like

TechRadar – All the latest technology news

Read More

Google Assistant is slated to ditch 17 features in the coming weeks
  • No Comments

Google Assistant is going to be shedding some weight as at least 17 “underutilized” features will be removed in the coming weeks.

In a recent announcement post, the tech giant says it wants to focus on the parts of its digital assistant that people actually use, so it will be getting rid of the ones that see little interaction. A list of upcoming dropped features can be found on the Google Help website. They include playing audiobooks on Google Play Books via voice command and asking for information about your contacts. For every feature being removed, the company recommends workarounds you can use to replicate the same action. For example, even though users won’t be able to control audiobooks with their voice, they can still cast them from a mobile device.

Pulling the plug

Not everything will receive an equivalent workaround. Google Assistant’s integration with Calm is getting axed, and there’s nothing you can do to duplicate the service. Google instead recommends playing a meditation video on YouTube. 

It’s worth pointing out that although the Help page lists 17 features, the wording implies more will be removed. We reached out asking for details regarding the exact number of deprecated features. This story will be updated at a later time.

It’s unknown exactly when the company will shut everything down. The announcement post states that beginning on January 26, Google Assistant will send a notification telling you a feature “won’t be available after a certain date” if you ask for it. That day officially remains a mystery. However, 9To5Google claims in its report the date is February 26 for most features. The Nest Hub Commute Tiles and Google Maps App Launcher will go offline a little earlier on February 7.

Upcoming tweaks

In addition to all of the removals, Google will be making a few tweaks to its mobile app. 

Using the microphone icon will now activate “Search results in response to your queries”. But you'll no longer be able to use said microphone for certain Google Assistant actions, like turning on the lights or sending texts. This deprecation extends to the search bar on Pixel phones. On the smartphone, tapping the icon will activate Voice Search instead of Assistant.

The company admits these changes may be jarring for some. If there are issues, they ask that you say “Hey Google, send feedback” to Google Assistant and share your thoughts. 

If you're in the market for an AI assistant to help with your daily routine but don't know where to start, check out TechRadar's list of the best smart speakers for 2024.

You might also like

TechRadar – All the latest technology news

Read More

OpenAI confirms ChatGPT has been getting ‘lazier’ – but a fix is coming
  • No Comments

Have you recently felt that ChatGPT isn’t performing as well as it used to? If so, you're not alone, as numerous users have claimed the artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot has been on the decline – and ChatGPT developer OpenAI has just confirmed a possible reason why that might be the case.

In fact, OpenAI seemed to endorse the idea that ChatGPT was getting “lazier” on X (formerly Twitter). In the post, OpenAI explained it had heard users’ feedback and that the reason for ChatGPT getting “lazier” was that it hadn’t been updated since November 11 – an entire month.

While OpenAI said this lack of updates wasn’t “intentional,” it added that it was “looking into fixing it.” It also noted that “model behavior can be unpredictable,” perhaps hinting that the developer itself hadn’t noticed ChatGPT’s declining performance until users brought it to light.

Despite all that, OpenAI hasn’t given an indication of when the issue might be fixed. If you regularly use ChatGPT prompts and have noticed a downward trend in the tool’s abilities, you’ll just have to hang tight until an update gets released.

Temporary solutions

A laptop screen on a green background showing the ChatGPT logo

(Image credit: ChatGPT)

Underneath the post on X, OpenAI further clarified the issue. One user asked the developer how it's possible that ChatGPT could get lazier.

In response, OpenAI explained that “to be clear, the idea is not that the model has somehow changed itself since Nov 11th. It’s just that differences in model behavior can be subtle – only a subset of prompts may be degraded, and it may take a long time for customers and employees to notice and fix these patterns.”

Other comments suggested ways to restore ChatGPT to its former prowess, including using the phrase “take a deep breath” or telling the chatbot to “reason step-by-step.” These might serve as temporary solutions until OpenAI is able to fix the underlying issue.

The degradation of ChatGPT performance comes shortly after Google announced its own ChatGPT rival called Gemini. Yet despite flashy promises from the search giant, numerous reports have emerged claiming its abilities are less than stellar. Perhaps it's time for both OpenAI and Google to give their chatbots a Christmas break and work on some upgrades for 2024.

You might also like

TechRadar – All the latest technology news

Read More

Report: Google delays its biggest AI launch of the year, but it’s still coming soon
  • No Comments

Google has delayed a series of top-secret artificial intelligence (AI) events that were set to showcase the company’s Gemini generative AI tool, according to The Information. If true, it's another blow to Google’s efforts to compete with the likes of ChatGPT in the AI world – although Gemini is still expected to launch soon.

As detailed in a paywalled report from The Information, the Gemini event was due to take place just days from now, with the first one kicking off next week. Yet Google CEO Sundar Pichai has apparently taken the decision to push it back to January 2024, according to “two people with knowledge of the of the decision.”

The reason for the delay? Google was not confident that Gemini was able to “reliably handle some non-English queries,” The Information claims. Google wants to ensure its AI tool works well in a number of languages, and it’s clearly not quite there yet.

The events – due to be held in California, New York and Washington – would apparently have been “Google’s most important product launch of the year” owing to how keen Google is to catch up with OpenAI’s ChatGPT. That means that delaying them could be a sizable blow to Google, even if they do ultimately take place in early 2024.

In ChatGPT’s shadow

Google on a smartphone

(Image credit: Solen Feyissa/Unsplash)

Despite their imminent dates, Google hadn’t done much promotion for the events (perhaps due to concerns over Gemini’s abilities). In the end, that meant the company managed to avoid an embarrassing retraction or cancellation of already-announced events.

Yet Google isn’t likely to be very happy with the situation. The delay demonstrates how much the company is struggling to get on level terms with OpenAI, despite its vast wealth and engineering abilities. It’s also the second time in recent weeks that Google has reportedly had to delay its Gemini events.

It comes shortly after OpenAI reportedly had a major breakthrough with its own generative AI efforts. This tool is supposedly able to solve problems it has not been trained on, something that AI has traditionally found difficult, thereby ramping up the pressure on Google to hit back.

Google is likely to weave Gemini’s AI capabilities into its other products, such as Search, Google Assistant, Google Docs and more, The Information believes, so keep an eye out for AI updates if you regularly use the company’s apps. Just don’t expect to see these changes until early next year.

You might also like

TechRadar – All the latest technology news

Read More

Apple Vision Pro 2 leak reveals what’s coming next for Apple’s headset
  • No Comments

The Apple Vision Pro hasn't yet made its way to any actual customers, but we're already starting to hear a few whispers about what might be in the pipeline for the second generation of Apple's augmented reality and virtual reality headset.

Sources speaking to MacRumors say that the Apple Vision Pro 2 is actually going to look very similar to the original headset, although there might be changes to the speaker configuration, with a flatter shape on each side.

We might also see variations in the design of the top vents, the report says, with the possibility that clusters of small holes will replace the existing strips. There's also talk of an audio accessory in the documentation, which might refer to an external speaker.

One of the key differences will be to the rear straps, MacRumors says. The 2nd-gen headset apparently has straps that are simpler in design, and “somewhat reminiscent of the flat straps commonly found on laptop bags or backpacks”.

The waiting game

It sounds as though the next model of the Apple Vision Pro is going to retain the external battery pack that the current model has, and MacRumors also says that most of the sensors and cameras will be similar as well.

A compass, ambient light sensor, magnetometer, and gyroscope are specifically mentioned, alongside support for Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5, and ultra-low latency audio, which is all very much as you would expect.

Based on the information included in this leak, what's known as production validation testing (PVT) is scheduled for 2025, which would mean a release date of late 2025 or early 2026. Of course, all of these details and plans could change over time.

We've previously heard that Apple is working on a cheaper Vision Pro model, but it's not entirely certain if this is it. Other improvements Apple is reportedly considering are to make the next Vision Pro lighter, more compact, and more comfortable.

You might also like

TechRadar – All the latest technology news

Read More

All the changes coming to macOS Sonoma in the latest 14.1 update explained
  • No Comments

We’ve just got the first big update for macOS Sonoma (Apple’s latest operating system for Macs and MacBooks, which was released in September).

The Sonoma 14.1. update is available for all Mac users running macOS Sonoma, and can be downloaded and installed through the Software Update section found in System Settings. 

If you’re not running macOS Sonoma, you’re not being left out, as Apple also released updates for older devices and operating systems, macOS Ventura 13.6.1 and macOS Monterey 12.7.1, which include many of the security fixes that macOS Sonoma 14.1 has. 

The macOS Sonoma‌ 14.1 update brings some new features to a range of apps, including a new warranty section which details your AppleCare+ plan (if you have one) and the status of your coverage (including for connected devices like AirPods and Beats headphones), along with new sections in the Apple Music app allowing you to add your favorite songs, albums, and playlists.

MacRumors lists the full rundown of changes and fixes that Apple has made in the update, and you can see an even more detailed breakdown of the security-related changes on Apple’s support website.

This isn’t a massive update, and seems almost like routine maintenance with some new additions, so there’s still plenty of room for improvement for macOS Sonoma, which is a decent operating system – but still not perfect. Some users are reporting buggy performance while using macOS Sonoma, although not all performance issues are Apple’s fault. That said, it seems like this update at least shows that Apple is aware of user feedback, and is working to improve the OS. 

An Apple MacBook Pro on a desk with an iPhone being used as a webcam. The webcam is using Continuity Camera in macOS Ventura to show items on a desk using the Desk View feature.

(Image credit: Apple)

What's coming next down the Apple pipeline

Hopefully, we won’t have long to wait for more improvements, as AppleInsider reports that macOS Sonoma 14.2’s developer beta has already been released to testers. If you would like to try this even newer version of macOS Sonoma, you’ll be able to grab it once the public beta version is released via the Apple Beta Software Program. This is only recommended for those willing to experiment with their devices, so we don’t recommend installing the beta on devices used for critical activities. 

We recently learned that Apple has been tripling down on its AI efforts, and I think users are eager to see what this means for the company’s devices, such as the best MacBooks and Macs. Considering that Apple has been thought of as behind the curve in the recent round of the AI game, with competitors like Microsoft partnering with OpenAI and Amazon partnering with Anthropic (a rival of OpenAI working on innovative generative AI like its own AI chatbot, Claude), many people feel Apple needs to start showing off its AI products soon – maybe even in a future update for macOS Sonoma. 

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE

TechRadar – All the latest technology news

Read More

Next-gen Windows is coming in 2024, Intel exec confirms (without mentioning Windows 12)
  • No Comments

We appear to have got our clearest indication yet that a whole new version of Windows will be coming next year.

Windows Latest reports that at a recent technology conference, Intel’s chief financial officer, David Zinsner, confirmed that the next iteration of Windows is indeed due to land in 2024.

Zinsner commented: “We actually think 2024 is going to be a pretty good year for client, in particular, because of the Windows refresh.”

Clearly, then, Intel has been informed that there’s going to be a new version of Windows next year.

Although there’s no mention of the name Windows 12, or any other name for that matter – ‘Windows refresh’ is obviously not the title Microsoft will plump for when it comes to the successor to Windows 11.

Analysis: Playing the name game

Of course, there are already plenty of rumors around Microsoft bringing out a next-gen Windows in 2024. And there’s plenty of speculation that it will be called Windows 12, too, but the reality is that at this point, Microsoft may be deep into working on this next version, but probably doesn’t know what it’ll be called itself yet.

Windows 12 just seems the most likely default option, naturally. About the only other possibility that occurs to us is that Microsoft may want to jam Copilot into the name, or maybe ‘AI’ or something along those lines, given that this is the latest big thing (TM). And Copilot will certainly be considerably developed in a year’s time.

You may recall that Intel was previously the source of a leak about next-gen Windows, one that actually used the name Windows 12 when talking about support regarding upcoming processors. This info was quickly retracted when reported on, though, and we wouldn’t read anything into the use of the name, as we just mentioned.

Next-gen Windows, whether it’s Windows 12, Windows AI – or insert your own guess here – is expected to arrive later in the second half of 2024 (work theoretically began on the new OS at the start of 2022).

We’re expecting it to be built around big advances with Copilot which will doubtless be used to push it as a compelling upgrade. Microsoft will be looking for a sizeable carrot to dangle in front of would-be upgraders, especially considering that Windows 11 has failed pretty miserably to gain all that much traction in its two years of existence thus far.

You might also like

TechRadar – All the latest technology news

Read More

Meta AI is coming to your social media apps – and I’ve already forgotten about ChatGPT
  • No Comments

Meta is going all out on artificial intelligence, first developing its own version of ChatGPT as well as implementing Instagram’s AI ‘personas’ to appeal to a younger audience. Now, the company has announced a new AI image generation and editing feature during Meta’s Connect event, which will be coming to Instagram soon. 

If you’re familiar with OpenAI’s ChatGPT or Google’s Bard, Meta AI will feel very familiar to you. The all-general purpose assistant can help with all sorts of planning and organizational tasks, and will now offer the ability to generate images via the prompt ‘/imagine’. 

You’ll also be able to show Meta AI on Instagram a photo you wish to post and ask it to apply a watercolour effect, make the image black and white and so on. Think of the Meta assistant as a more ‘social’ version of ChatGPT, baked right into your social media apps.

Alongside the assistant, the initial roster of 28 AI characters is beginning to roll out across the company’s messaging app. Most of these characters are based on celebrities like Kendall Jenner, Mr. Beast, Paris Hilton and my personal favourite, Snoop Dogg! You can chat with these ‘personas’ directly and finally ask Paris what lipgloss she uses. As you chat with the characters their profile image will animate based on the topic of conversation, which is pretty cool considering chatting with most AI chatbots is kind of… boring, at least from a visual standpoint.

ChatGPT may have started it, but Meta could finish it

It’s clear that Meta is taking AI integration very seriously, and I love to see it! By integrating its virtual assistant and AI tools into the apps billions of people use every day it’s guaranteed an existing user base, and in my opinion, shows that the company has taken the time to really understand why users would approach their product. 

Instead of just unleashing an assistant that will give you recipes and do your homework, it looks like Meta AI is tailored to suit everyday purposes and feels like a really clever way to implement the tool in people’s lives. The assistant is right there in the app if and when you need it, so you don’t have to leave the app to engage with the assistant.

Meta’s huge scale of potential users gives it a good chance of being the AI assistant people will use for the first time and could be the AI assistant people will end up using on a day-to-day basis. No extra app to download or account to make, and no swiping away from your conversation to get to what you need. I think Meta made a smart choice taking its time and has now come out the gate swinging – and I really do think ChatGPT creators OpenAI should be a little bit worried. 

You might also like

TechRadar – All the latest technology news

Read More

Windows 11 update coming today will finally persuade me to upgrade – but not because of Copilot
  • No Comments

Windows 11’s next big update – not the annual one for 2023, mind, that comes later – is rolling out today, and there’s some buzz on the rumor mill about what will be included with this upgrade.

PhantomOfEarth, a regular leaker on X (formerly Twitter) with their ear to the ground on all things Windows, pointed out what else is coming with the September 26 update (later today).

See more

Of course, it’s already known that the star of the show is set to be the Copilot AI. However, as tweeted, there’s another big piece of the jigsaw – at least for me, and a good few other folks – coming in the form of the option to never combine on the taskbar.

That’s the choice for the taskbar that you get with Windows 10 to tell the operating system not to stack up (combine) windows of the same application. (So, for example, if you have multiple browser windows open, they won’t all be lumped into the same entry on the taskbar, stacked up – with never combine, they remain separate icons on the bar).

PhantomOfEarth also clarified that another useful trick is coming for the taskbar, namely the ability to right-click on an app on the bar and end the task right there. Oh, and also the feature to hide the time and date from the taskbar should you wish.

And the new volume mixer, which offers fresh functionality including adjusting the volume of programs that are running on a per-app basis, is also set to roll out with the September 26 update later today.

Analysis: A winning never-combination

Of course, the centerpiece for this update – which is technically Moment 4 for Windows 11 22H2, with the 23H2 update to come later in the year, in Q4 – is undoubtedly Copilot. The introduction of the AI assistant to Windows 11 is, of course, a huge move, and one which may work out better than I anticipate. (I still feel it’s jumping the gun a little, but I’m ready – and happy – to be proven wrong).

For me, though, I’ve been holding back on upgrading to Windows 11 because of the lack of that feature to keep apps on the taskbar separate. That might sound a bit petty, but I have a workflow within Windows, and it involves never combining on the taskbar, and having that option stripped away is just too annoying, and jarring, for my fundamental way of working with the OS.

I couldn’t really believe it when Microsoft removed this choice with Windows 11 – apparently fiddly bits deep within the interface meant it wasn’t a simple implementation for the newer OS, or that’s what the software giant told us.

So, I’ve refrained from upgrading, until now – but with this new feature in place, I’ll be hitting the upgrade button straight away, with a caveat though. That being I’ll fire up the upgrade on my Surface (second PC) first, before my main desktop rig. But the latter will come soon enough (unless I find other things to hate about Windows 11, when I actually get into using it properly – perish the thought, naturally).

Anyway, it’s good to see that there’s a lot of stuff imminent for Windows 11, even if that does leave me scratching my head a bit as to what’s left for the 23H2 update, which at this point feels more minor than this ‘Moment’ (supposedly smaller than annual) upgrade.

So, that’s all a little confusing, but hey – I’m not going to argue about getting super-important features quicker, that’s for sure (though I wouldn’t say never combine has been exactly ‘quick’ off the mark, of course).

You might also like

TechRadar – All the latest technology news

Read More

Microsoft announces Copilot all-in-one AI assistant coming to Windows 11 on September 26
  • No Comments

Today at Microsoft's “special event”, Yusef Mehdi, the tech company’s head of consumer marketing presented a huge next step in its AI evolution – Copilot. 

It has previously announced Microsoft 365 Copilot, an intelligent assistant that worked across a range of its suite of productivity apps like Word and Excel.

At the event, Microsoft explained how Copilot is going to help you with almost everything that you use Windows or Microsoft products for. This new versatile Copilot will be put into action September 26 to all devices that receive the next Windows 11 update. For desktop, you can get this today and start trying it out for yourself. This means Copilot will be on all kinds of devices – PCs, laptops, and tablets. 

Microsoft is aiming to integrate Copilot into Windows in such a way that feels natural and intuitive to use. It will be a standalone app, as well as function as an assistant in a wide assortment of other Windows apps to assist you with all kinds of tasks. This includes popular programs like Paint, Snipping Tool, Photos, and more where you can copy and paste right into the program and get to work on it right away. 

It will also help you figure out what to do with text, whether it can help revise or summarise it.

One particularly interesting addition to Microsoft’s available apps which Mehdi talked about is Windows Ink Anywhere which will allow you to handwrite a math problem into a text field or take a photo of it, and help you solve it. 

Also, if you connect your phone to your Windows device and give it permission to access your phone, Copilot will use that connection to inform its output.

Copilot and Bing, both with built-in AI

Microsoft’s flagship search engine, Bing, which has seen the integration of ChatGPT tech is also going to work in cooperation with Copilot, for example to help you shop online. You can take a picture and the two tools will help you quickly identify where you can buy it. Bing Image Creator, the AI image generator that anyone can access with a Microsoft account for free, is being upgraded to the DALL-E 3 model. When you ask Bing (and I assume Bing Chat, eventually) a question, the answers you get will be more personalized using your chat history. 

I think Copilot is going to have to prove itself – Microsoft spent a long time focusing on it during its presentation and it's not a physically flashy product, but it promises a lot. If it's as powerful and as useful as Microsoft says, that could be what makes it the next standard that we measure all AI assistants against (like Word was for text editors or Google is for search now). Time will tell.

TechRadar – All the latest technology news

Read More