Recapping WWDC 2024 from Apple Park

There was no new Apple {hardware} at WWDC 2024, however Apple nonetheless had tons of reports round AI and its upcoming working methods. On this bonus episode, Cherlynn and Devindra courageous the California warmth to debate Apple Intelligence and the way it’s totally different than different AI options. And so they dive into different new options they’re trying ahead to, just like the iPhone mirroring in macOS Sequoia and iPadOS 18’s surprisingly cool Calculator app.

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Credit

Hosts: Devindra Hardawar and Cherlynn Low
Music: Dale North and Terrence O’Brien

Transcript

Devindra: What’s up, of us? That is Devindra right here, and we’re stay at Apple Park. Cherlynn and I are in the midst of protecting Apple’s WWDC convention. Cherlynn, what’s up? How’s it going?

Cherlynn: We’re, I really feel fairly zen proper now, as a result of although I’ve much more conferences arising, we’re seated outdoors, it is good out, and although it is actually scorching, it isn’t dying. it is good. I am chill.

Devindra: It is good we’re each, we have gone via 4 to 5 conferences. For each of us. We have gone via the keynote. We’re writing a bunch of reports of us. So we’re simply gonna sit down and Offer you our ideas about what is going on on. Cherlynn and I additionally did a video that is up on our YouTube channel recapping why we expect Apple intelligence is doing issues a bit of in another way and possibly higher than Stuff from Microsoft and Google, however yeah, Sherlyn, you have been speaking with Apple quite a bit.

What’s your basic takeaway from this yr’s WWDC?

Cherlynn: Yeah, to set the stage a bit of, I feel, this morning 8 a. m. I had my first assembly after which it has been 4 conferences such as you stated, Devendra, protecting matters like Apple intelligence, privateness, iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 and watchOS 11 as nicely. My important factor is that sure, we have now truly all through the keynote, we heard issues that we have seen in different platforms, proper?

Like they’re blatantly copying magic eraser from Google’s editor on, this factor known as cleanup and photographs. and so they’re including various things like, oh, now you can rearrange your apps and pores and skin them the way in which you may in Android’s materials you. However, the way in which Apple’s thought issues via proves and continues to show to be totally different from everybody else.

It’s kind of extra considerate, a bit cleaner, a bit extra subtle. And, once more, I feel you see this most in Apple Intelligence. And, Devindra, you have been asking all people right here, can we are saying AI? Can we?

Devindra: I do not know. So one factor I began figuring it out, or a minimum of as we had been writing about Apple Intelligence, is that Making an acronym for it’s robust as a result of I can not simply name it AI after which speak about That stuff versus Copilot or versus OpenAI and I’ve began utilizing Apple AI as a technique to shorten it However I’ve been asking Apple of us right here mainly everybody we have encountered about how they shorten Apple intelligence and the resounding response I get is sort of a information processing error.

It is like watching a human form of similar to cease having the ability to course of data. They give the impression of being over to the PR individual. They’re like, what do I see right here? However the response I at all times get is, Apple intelligence. That is all we are saying. We solely ever say Apple intelligence. One individual stated, private intelligence, which is a phrase Tim Cook dinner used.

However yeah, it’s humorous that it’s, it appears nearly like a company command to not name Apple intelligence AI or shorten it that method in any method.

Cherlynn: they consider the phrases AI, or the letters AI, to face for Apple Intelligence, it appears After which the phrase that they fall again on after they do not need to say Apple Intelligence is simply Intelligence. three syllables, is just one greater than saying AI. Nonetheless, although, AI is a lot simpler to say, for my part.

Devindra: It simply looks like they’ve stumbled themselves into this bizarre branding gap, the place they took the letters A and I, however they cannot use AI. However it is usually an AI powered factor. I simply suppose it is humorous, and exhibits, like, how I do not understand how absurd these corporations will be at some factors. however yeah, let’s briefly speak about Apple Intelligence, Cherlynn. I am extra impressed by what Apple’s doing right here as a result of it does look like they’re saying options that we truly would need to use, and it is extra centered on options inside apps, stuff like making Siri higher, relatively than what Microsoft did.

Microsoft was similar to, hey, no person likes our search engine. Right here we put AI in our search engine then all people hastily thought it was cool After which they put that copilot they rebranded as copilot They put that in Home windows and it is like dot revenue I do not suppose it truly led to something.

I do not care about copilot in Home windows It hasn’t been functionally helpful for me However simply trying on the stuff right here that Apple has proven off like I need to use this new Siri I need to use quite a lot of these new options that they are displaying off. I do not know in the event you really feel in another way

Cherlynn: I feel Siri is just one a part of the Apple intelligence puzzle.

I feel there’s quite a lot of different stuff that they had been, that they demoed that might be very intriguing. I do really feel like quite a lot of their writing instruments, issues that we will see on Mac and iPad, are issues we have seen elsewhere, like Copilot, like Gemini and OpenAI, have all supplied some model of rewriting one thing for you, summarizing it for you, offering a TLDR.

Apple clearly being the kind of, vertical integration king that it’s good at Bringing it in order that while you spotlight a physique of textual content or one thing, you may see this like blue or yellow or no matter circle up right here on the high left, the place you discover your copy and paste choices, you may additionally go there to get a writing device like, yeah, assist me alter the tone of this cowl letter that I am writing, for instance. it is Stuff that we have seen, however but utilized a only a bit higher, a bit extra thoughtfully. the Siri stuff, they’ve redesigned Siri to raised perceive you in the event you, interrupting your self in the midst of, issuing a command. in the event you’re like, Oh, alter this timer. Oh, sorry, set it for 15, not 20 minutes, that kind of factor. it’ll do it. It is good sufficient. it’s positively, extra thought out and extra system extensive and deeply built-in. And to make use of their very own phrases, Private, extra personally, contextually conscious than say, Gemini on a Pixel cellphone. And that is the one actual different place I can examine it to as a result of the Copilot on Floor PCs do not appear that deeply built-in simply but.

Devindra: It nearly looks as if Copilot is directionless. It is like Microsoft was similar to, Hey, OpenAI is cool, do you want ChatGPT? look, we put it in Home windows. are you not entertained? Aren’t you content about this? And I wasn’t, I’ve examined these things for some time. I feel Google’s a minimum of making an attempt to be a bit of extra, Considerate additionally about the way it’s doing it with Gemini.

Prefer it’s making an attempt to love hook into all of the Google companies and all of the stuff you are already counting on. However Apple’s entire factor is like they’re constructing on the privateness requirements that they’ve talked about earlier than quite a lot of this Processing is going on on machine with their native fashions They do go to the cloud for a few of their like extra complicated issues.

However we additionally learn in regards to the what’s it the personal cloud? connection that they had been speaking about and even that appears cool I would advocate you all it is like bizarre to even talk about one thing like this, however they’ve mainly Created a cloud resolution that’s they are saying is safer You it is an anonymized connection.

Like when, to begin with, Apple’s fashions solely ship little bits of knowledge to their cloud. It is anon anonymized in a method, just like the, the VPN relay factor that they’ve on iPhones is, these servers do not save your information. They do not save logs. In order that’s additionally one thing that may stop, authorities like police or the FBI from getting information of what you are doing. however Apple’s similar to maintaining your self out of that. And so they additionally say that they are publishing the pictures. of the software program getting used on the servers for researchers to audit and to check out and your cellphone can solely discuss with mainly servers operating the precise software program that they anticipate it to so your cellphone must maintain getting up to date there’s like simply a number of layers of safety which isn’t the kind of factor I feel most individuals take into consideration after they’re doing like cloud companies, a minimum of from what I’ve seen.

Cherlynn: I feel, so one factor, the irony of Copilot being directionless is simply fairly humorous to me. you don’t need a Copilot or a Pilot to be directionless. However anyway, yeah, the personal cloud computing is unquestionably one thing that, Apple is approaching in another way in comparison with Microsoft and Google, the place they explicitly lay out how anonymized and the way protected and encrypted your information is. and true. Apple’s level, which one thing that Craig Federighi identified through the keynote as nicely, they really put it on the market. They need impartial verification and validation that their stuff is securely taking place and all of the switch of your course of. for instance, proper after the keynote, a sure co, CEO or proprietor of a sure social media community or platform was like, OpenAI integration with this factor goes to be a safety threat, proper? I’m referring to Elon Musk’s tweets on X. And, from my understanding, having taken quite a lot of conferences since, the OpenAI integration is going on like this. everytime you ask Apple Intelligence gadgets a question, Siri for instance, the very first thing it is doing is determining whether or not it might do it on machine or if it must ship via privateness cloud compute to the servers to course of.

Then, on gadgets clearly like fairly direct, proper? But when it must cross your data on to speak GPT since you’ve requested it one thing that, no matter. It would first floor hey, do you need to cross your data to speak GPT? And it’ll do it each time. you are not going to say sure as soon as after which afterwards by no means must be requested chat GPT entry once more. after which there’s a contractual factor between OpenAI and Apple which prevents OpenAI from storing your requests. and likewise Apple is simply not handing any IP handle data over. It’s utilizing that kind of personal relay factor, to cross on like all IP handle data wanted. It is simply hiding the precise information. after which as soon as OpenAI has executed chat GPTing your solutions for you, It’s imagined to erase your data or no matter and do away with it. It’s a contractual factor supposedly, and that is still to be seen, proper? that is how a lot you belief OpenAI to try this. after which the same kind of ideas for privateness, cloud compute right here.

So once more, very nicely thought out, proper? simply very Apple in its strategy.

Devindra: Considerate, I feel, is the phrase. I do not need to sound like I stated this within the video. Not an excessive amount of of a fanboy. We now have not seen these things in motion but or within the wild. However, I feel just like the preliminary I do not know. Issues we noticed was one thing like Microsoft Recall, which was a cool thought.

However Microsoft, it was like a blunt power strategy to Hey, we’re simply going to recollect every little thing you probably did in your pc by capturing every little thing we did in your pc. And we will serve it, we will put it aside in a database in your system that, Hey, anyone can apparently entry with like little or no protections round it.

And it actually took days for safety researchers to even be like, what the hell is that this? that is. Very simple to interrupt via. Microsoft ended up having to, mainly rework how that function is. Initially it was, it was a function that was at all times enabled and also you needed to choose out of it. Now it is choose in. individuals needed to complain to alleviate these very apparent points. And I feel on the very least, I haven’t got that sense with Apple. Like I really feel like they’ve a minimum of sat down, possibly additionally talked with researchers and be like, is that this cool? Is that this truly copacetic when it comes to like privateness and consumer security and every little thing?

So I do not know you probably have any additional ideas on that.

Cherlynn: As a result of Apple is aware of that the kind of value to pay if it is caught with egg on its face is so excessive and really arguably increased for it than any of its different rivals to be, is all of the extra invested in ensuring that is going and being executed the fitting method and actually I want Google and Microsoft would take notes. I’ll say there’s quite a lot of different privateness issues which might be very intriguing to me. I did, I’m recent from like a privateness associated demo that, was very, so the passwords app is a brand new factor that I am very enthusiastic about, I am very welcome. I really feel very welcome. Or I am welcoming it? No matter. they’re additionally altering sure issues just like the permitting entry to all of your contacts or limiting entry or no matter within the permission settings for numerous apps that want.

Like for instance, if I am enjoying Match Manufacturing unit, why do they should get all of the entry to all my contacts they do not want? I additionally suppose it is humorous, no, possibly not humorous. one of many new options coming to iOS 18 is locking and hiding. particular apps. locking is smart. I get it. Hiding, although, looks as if you are, like, Ashley Madison ing issues for everyone, letting the cheaters of the world maintain secrets and techniques.

I do not understand how I really feel about that, however, it is the, atomic bomb factor, proper? Do you make it after which let individuals use it how they may, or, I do not know who at Apple determined this was a crucial function. Are you going to make use of this function Devendra?

Devindra: pay attention, I may have my Tinder account by some means.

I do not know. however I do suppose the app blocking factor is cool as a result of mother and father typically have to provide their gadgets to youngsters and Oh, you don’t need them to swipe away, you don’t need them to do different stuff. So this fashion you may lock an app if you wish to exhibit your photographs or exhibit one thing to any person and simply have them not poke round, which has been.

It is also like a quite common drawback we see on like TV exhibits and films the place any person can be like, Hey, can I check out this photograph? And so they’re like, get all of your private information out of your cellphone immediately as a result of it is open. So it looks as if a really good method of coping with privateness too.

Cherlynn: And really Apple esque in that, in the event you lock an app, say, your messages, for instance, then it, additionally the contents of that app will not present up, and search will not present up, and collection solutions, or highlight solutions, or, even map solutions. there’s only a lot right here. and, simply to remove broader notes from WWDC2, like I stated earlier, there’s quite a lot of, small adjustments that, that make every little thing appear very meaty. iOS 18 truly may be an enormous improve. the messages updates which might be coming. the brand new faucet again, emoji.

Lastly, we are able to do greater than exclamation marks. Typically I simply need to make a tragic face. I can not try this. I’ve to do thumbs down. I like that they are coming. Oh, and I am again to the Apple Intelli I do know I am leaping round a bit, however speaking about emoji, one other factor that Apple did proper from the get, I feel as a result of it has been in a position to observe the pitfalls that different individuals have fallen into is to be like, okay, we’re limiting it to those very clearly cartoonish kind of graphic like illustration, so no photorealistic.

After which when it is creating pictures of individuals in gemmoji, you may solely use your personal creation. So that you’re mainly selecting from a template or primarily based in your like individuals that you’ve got in your photographs or your individuals gallery kind of scenario. However as a result of it is in a cartoonish illustration, persons are by no means going to mistake it for somebody that is truly an actual life.

You’ll be able to’t, for instance, there are guardrails in place that like, stop you from making the picture playground generate one thing that appears dangerous or violent or is exploitative. which once more, goes to indicate, Apple’s thought this via, proper?

Devindra: And I feel lots of people are asking, what are, the place, what are these fashions educated on?

As a result of Apple’s speaking about quite a lot of its personal fashions, small ones that run straight in your machine, bigger ones which might be within the cloud. And sometimes they will attain out to OpenAI for chat GPT stuff. Apple has advised us that they’re coaching their fashions on licensed information, like pictures, issues like that.

Some stuff from the open net, publishers can refuse to take part. Like they’ll say their web site just isn’t crawlable by Apple stuff. and so they say that, Apple will, if any person adjustments down the road, like what they need to be accessible to their very own fashions, Apple will mirror that with additional updates.

So once more, it is opaque, however a minimum of what they’re telling us. To me sounds higher than what I’ve heard from Google and definitely from open AI. so I feel that is cool actual fast. Let’s speak about macOS Sequoia, which has a lot of the options once more All these options just about come throughout all of its merchandise.

So apple intelligence goes to be a factor that is by the way in which goes to be engaged on Max operating Apple Silicon, so M1 to M4 No M4 Max but, however M1, M collection Max and likewise the iPhone 15 Professional Sherlyn you wrote a chunk in regards to the options individuals can anticipate you probably have an iPhone 14 Professional Principally, you are sore out of luck.

You get some iOS 18 options, however not every little thing, proper?

Cherlynn: Yeah, all of the iOS 18 options, however not one of the Apple intelligence options, sadly In order that redesigned Siri with the glowing edges. That is not coming. It’s so fairly I additionally need to say that the iPadOS issues that appear actually cool, all of the pencil options, the handwriting stuff.

So quite a lot of the, Keynote or like in demos I’ve taken, some options shall be like, that is ML energy, it is like Good Script, for instance, is powered by ML, however it’s not a part of Apple Intelligence. So you might be nonetheless going to get that in iPadOS, 18 while you improve, no matter whether or not you have got the M1 iPad or like an older one. however yeah, I gotta discuss to you about MathNodes, Devindra. Have been you blown away by that demo? Like, after they simply draw the equal signal, then that, factor simply sums itself. The answer simply solves itself. It is Imply Ladies Mathletes, however on a complete different stage to me.

Devindra: It is, it is cool, and that is additionally one thing they are saying is ML powered, not essentially Apple Intelligence powered.

So you probably have older iPads, you will note some advantages of that. It is cool, however I additionally really feel like, Bye for now. It is like a superpowered calculator. I do not understand how many individuals have Apple Pencils and are like scribbling down math formulation, however it’s cool. I dig it.

Cherlynn: I feel to, to start with the truth that an iPad by no means had a calculator app earlier than this, it is like astonishing.

However then now that it is right here, Apple’s clearly thought of look, we’re bringing this to the larger display. We wish it to be pencil pleasant. We wish it to be huge display pleasant. Let’s actually take into consideration the format right here. And that is explains why there’s been a delay. And I truly get it. there’s you may go into the historical past tab to see your earlier like calculations. There’s much more calculations you are able to do on this calculator, A forex conversion, which I forgot to ask, like, how is it pulling the precise charge? However no matter, after which you may go into the notes part after which I really feel like nearly really feel like calculator is a misnomer on this case as a result of it is doing far more than calculating and fixing equations.

It is like you may draw like a blueprint of a home and have it measure the areas like size and width, no matter, however on the similar time, map that to love value calculations, like value estimates, like in the event you use this materials. So one thing I noticed occur was such as you did Value equals X, space equals Y, after which value instances space equals, and when you draw the realm, it is like programming mainly, however all executed within the notes app.

And that is actually it blew my thoughts a bit of bit, which I hate to confess as a result of I do not prefer to be so like, fangirly, however rattling, that was cool.

Devindra: It was cool. Perhaps the excuse for not having a calculator app constructed into the iPad. one factor I need to point out about macOS Decoy is iPhone mirroring. Which was one thing I like half predicted.

Like I wrote a want piece for what I’d need to see in Imaginative and prescient Professional and Imaginative and prescient OS 2. And one factor was I’d actually love to have the ability to mirror the iPhone simply the way in which like you may mirror a MacBook inside Imaginative and prescient Professional. have a full projection of the display. That is not coming to Imaginative and prescient OS 2. Imaginative and prescient OS 2 is like very minor updates it appears.

However It’s one thing coming to Mac Sequoia and to make use of that it’s good to use a cellphone, an iPhone. With I 18 A Mac with Mac, Sequoia, you get nearly immediately. I have not seen projected, like the way it truly works in actual time, however it does look like you hit a button, you get a window view of your iPhone and you employ it.

In your Mac as you’d in actual life you see your house display you may scroll between apps You’ll be able to your notifications like very neatly are reintegrated into the max notifications. That is enjoyable you can play video games in your iphone and while you launch a sport, the window will go widescreen The audio appears to come back via fairly rapidly simply looks as if a very cool function as a result of No less than on Macs, like I at all times have my cellphone close by.

It is at all times like doing different stuff, however I’d love to have the ability to like simply have that open and likewise see different notifications coming in. It is similar to very extensible when it comes to like the way you’re interacting along with your {hardware}. The iPhone, by the way in which, keep the display stays locked. So it would not seem like any person is rather like you are similar to mirroring a direct pc or one thing.

One factor we realized from Apple as a result of I have been asking round about this. In the event you mirrored your Mac within the Imaginative and prescient Professional, After which that Mac was additionally mirroring an iPhone. Would you truly be capable of do the iPhone stuff from throughout the Imaginative and prescient Professional? And I’ve heard from a few of us that’s mainly not going to occur.

You’ll be able to run one continuity function. iPhone mirroring is a part of continuity. So these options that allow you to like copy and paste throughout gadgets and stuff. You’ll be able to solely run one mirroring function at a time. So mainly you may’t try this with the Mac. I am nonetheless sitting right here ready for iPhone mirroring in Imaginative and prescient OS.

Clearly although, like they’ve the aptitude. The Imaginative and prescient Professional is operating an M. 2 chip. If iPhone mirroring works on M. 1 and M. 2 Macs, there isn’t a purpose why that is not going to be in Imaginative and prescient Professional ultimately. So I am kinda, I really feel like we half gained that wager, mainly.

Cherlynn: I simply gotta say that Home windows and Android have been making an attempt to do that endlessly.

I can keep in mind like years in the past although, when the primary like Galaxy books strive to do that. That is a minimum of my earliest encounter with it. It really works. I have not seen this occur, but on the iPhone facet of issues, as in I have not personally taken a demo, so I could not let you know if it is truly higher or extra considerate. realizing Apple, realizing its deep integration prowess might be gonna work higher.

Devindra: in all probability. Apple additionally offers excellent demos, in order that’s one thing we have realized. do you have got any additional ideas about WWDC or what’s forward for Apple, Sherlyn?

Cherlynn: I’ve a lot to dive into intimately, just like the watchOS stuff, the iOS and iPadOS options.

I suppose broad strokes. It is it feels nearly revolutionary as a result of Apple is lastly leaping on board the AI prepare, and renaming the prepare, taking on mainly. And what? The factor is, I hate this, however now persons are going to concentrate. As a result of what? now my buddies truly are going to understand what Genmoji is meant to do, what you may truly do by, feeding AI, generator.

It is gonna, and we’re gonna begin seeing extra, writing device assisted emails and evaluations, I feel it is momentous. I feel persons are actually going to begin listening to what AI means and what it might do. I do not know if it is good for the world, however yeah, it simply looks like huge.

Devindra: We ran out of time speaking to Apple individuals, however I did need to ask them, do you suppose these writing instruments are literally useful?

As a result of then it simply, All our emails, all our conversations are going to begin to sound like weirdly robotic or further formal AI paperwork or AI texts and I am not a fan of that, not too , however the Genmoji stuff is cool as a result of it is like we have now had Dali and different issues like create these AI pictures, what do you do with them? publish it on social media? I do not know. Genmoji is simply if you wish to create an emoji primarily based on a selected feeling, you may create a factor to your liking. Only a actually good use of that. That know-how, So anyway, I’m within the course of of putting in the, the iOS 18 developer beta on my cellphone. I feel in line with the principles, you may’t speak about that, however we are able to speak about it after they launch the general public beta. In order that’s, later subsequent month, I consider. However we will be testing these things out. We’ll be enthusiastic about these options. some other takeaways from Apple, Sherlyn?

Cherlynn: No, ship us your ideas although, proper? podcast@engadget.Com is essentially the most direct technique to attain us. however come again on, we do a Thursday livestream at podcast@engadget.com Jap on our YouTube channel the place we have now direct Q& A classes the place we are able to in all probability reply your questions, in actual time. And I am fairly positive we’ll nonetheless proceed to dig deep into what we realized, this week on our episode, that drops on Fridays or Thursday nights, proper? come again for all of that.

Devindra: Yeah, positively. We’re nonetheless gonna be doing an extended, a traditional podcast episode this week. Cherlynn and I are in California now, however we’ll be flying again tomorrow and able to podcast on stay stream on Thursday. So we’ll be again of us. tell us what you consider all this information, podcast@engadget.com. Thanks of us. We’re out.

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