Recapping WWDC 2024 from Apple Park

There was no new Apple {hardware} at WWDC 2024, however Apple nonetheless had tons of stories round AI and its upcoming working programs. 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. They usually dive into different new options they’re wanting 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 dwell at Apple Park. Cherlynn and I are in the midst of masking 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 despite the fact that I’ve much more conferences arising, we’re seated outdoors, it is good out, and despite the fact that it is actually sizzling, it is not dying. it is good. I am chill.

Devindra: It is good we’re each, we have gone by way of 4 to 5 conferences. For each of us. We have gone by way of the keynote. We’re writing a bunch of stories of us. So we’re simply gonna sit down and Provide you with 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 otherwise and possibly higher than Stuff from Microsoft and Google, however yeah, Sherlyn, you have been speaking with Apple rather a lot.

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

Cherlynn: Yeah, to set the stage a bit, I feel, this morning 8 a. m. I had my first assembly after which it has been 4 conferences such as you mentioned, Devendra, masking matters like Apple intelligence, privateness, iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 and watchOS 11 as properly. My primary factor is that sure, we’ve 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 images. they usually’re including various things like, oh, now you can rearrange your apps and pores and skin them the best way you’ll be able to in Android’s materials you. However, the best way Apple’s thought issues by way of proves and continues to show to be totally different from everybody else.

It is a bit extra considerate, a bit cleaner, a bit extra refined. 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 no less than as we have been writing about Apple Intelligence, is that Making an acronym for it’s powerful as a result of I am unable to 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 knowledge processing error.

It is like watching a human type of identical to cease with the ability to course of data. They appear over to the PR particular person. 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 particular person mentioned, private intelligence, which is a phrase Tim Prepare 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 means in any means.

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 wish 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, in my view.

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 can not 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 could 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 asserting options that we truly would wish to use, and it is extra centered on options inside apps, stuff like making Siri higher, relatively than what Microsoft did.

Microsoft was identical 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 wanting on the stuff right here that Apple has proven off like I wish to use this new Siri I wish to use lots of these new options that they are exhibiting off. I do not know when you really feel otherwise

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

I feel there’s lots of different stuff that they have been, that they demoed that may be very intriguing. I do really feel like lots 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 provided some model of rewriting one thing for you, summarizing it for you, offering a TLDR.

Apple clearly being the type 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’ll be able to see this like blue or yellow or no matter circle up right here on the prime left, the place you discover your copy and paste choices, you may additionally go there to get a writing device like, yeah, assist me regulate 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 higher perceive you when you, interrupting your self in the midst of, issuing a command. when you’re like, Oh, regulate this timer. Oh, sorry, set it for 15, not 20 minutes, that type of factor. it’ll do it. It is sensible 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 like Copilot is directionless. It is like Microsoft was identical to, Hey, OpenAI is cool, do you want ChatGPT? look, we put it in Home windows. are you not entertained? Aren’t you cheerful about this? And I wasn’t, I’ve examined these things for some time. I feel Google’s no less than making an attempt to be a bit 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 providers 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 lots of this Processing is occurring on system with their native fashions They do go to the cloud for a few of their like extra advanced issues.

However we additionally learn concerning the what’s it the personal cloud? connection that they have been speaking about and even that appears cool I would advocate you all it is like bizarre to even focus on 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 information to their cloud. It is anon anonymized in a means, just like the, the VPN relay factor that they’ve on iPhones is, these servers do not save your knowledge. 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 identical to conserving your self out of that. They usually additionally say that they are publishing the photographs. of the software program getting used on the servers for researchers to audit and to try and your cellphone can solely discuss with mainly servers working the precise software program that they anticipate it to so your cellphone should hold getting up to date there’s like simply a number of layers of safety which isn’t the type of factor I feel most individuals take into consideration after they’re doing like cloud providers, no less than from what I’ve seen.

Cherlynn: I feel, so one factor, the irony of Copilot being directionless is simply fairly humorous to me. you do not need a Copilot or a Pilot to be directionless. However anyway, yeah, the personal cloud computing is unquestionably one thing that, Apple is approaching otherwise in comparison with Microsoft and Google, the place they explicitly lay out how anonymized and the way protected and encrypted your knowledge is. and true. Apple’s level, which one thing that Craig Federighi identified through the keynote as properly, they really put it on the market. They need impartial verification and validation that their stuff is securely occurring 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 danger, proper? I’m referring to Elon Musk’s tweets on X. And, from my understanding, having taken lots of conferences since, the OpenAI integration is occurring 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 could do it on system or if it must ship by way of privateness cloud compute to the servers to course of.

Then, on gadgets clearly like fairly direct, proper? But when it must go your data on to speak GPT since you’ve requested it one thing that, no matter. It can first floor hey, do you wish to go 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 should 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 deal with data over. It’s utilizing that type of personal relay factor, to go on like every IP deal with 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 alleged to erase your data or no matter and do away with it. It’s a contractual factor supposedly, and that continues to be to be seen, proper? that is how a lot you belief OpenAI to try this. after which the same type of ideas for privateness, cloud compute right here.

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

Devindra: Considerate, I feel, is the phrase. I do not wish to sound like I mentioned this within the video. Not an excessive amount of of a fanboy. We have now 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 concept.

However Microsoft, it was like a blunt drive strategy to Hey, we’re simply going to recollect every thing you probably did in your pc by capturing every thing we did in your pc. And we will serve it, we will reserve it 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 straightforward to interrupt by way of. 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 decide out of it. Now it is decide 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 no less than sat down, possibly additionally talked with researchers and be like, is that this cool? Is that this truly copacetic by way of like privateness and person security and every 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 type of value to pay if it is caught with egg on its face is so excessive and really arguably greater 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 suitable means and actually I want Google and Microsoft would take notes. I’ll say there’s lots of different privateness issues which are very intriguing to me. I did, I’m contemporary 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 like you are, like, Ashley Madison ing issues for everyone, letting the cheaters of the world hold 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 are going to, 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 might have my Tinder account someway.

I do not know. however I do suppose the app blocking factor is cool as a result of mother and father typically have to present their gadgets to children and Oh, you do not need them to swipe away, you do not need them to do different stuff. So this manner you’ll be able to lock an app if you wish to exhibit your images or exhibit one thing to someone and simply have them not poke round, which has been.

It is also like a quite common downside we see on like TV exhibits and films the place someone could be like, Hey, can I check out this photograph? They usually’re like, get all of your private knowledge out of your cellphone immediately as a result of it is open. So it looks like a really sensible means of coping with privateness too.

Cherlynn: And really Apple esque in that, when 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 options, or highlight options, or, even map options. there’s only a lot right here. and, simply to remove broader notes from WWDC2, like I mentioned earlier, there’s lots of, small modifications that, that make every thing appear very meaty. iOS 18 truly may be a giant improve. the messages updates which are coming. the brand new faucet again, emoji.

Lastly, we are able to do greater than exclamation marks. Generally I simply wish to make a tragic face. I am unable to 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 capable of observe the pitfalls that different individuals have fallen into is to be like, okay, we’re limiting it to those very clearly cartoonish type of graphic like illustration, so no photorealistic.

After which when it is creating photos of individuals in gemmoji, you’ll be able to solely use your personal creation. So that you’re mainly selecting from a template or based mostly in your like individuals that you’ve got in your images or your individuals gallery type 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 possibly can’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 by way of, 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 lots of its personal fashions, small ones that run immediately in your system, bigger ones which are within the cloud. And sometimes they will attain out to OpenAI for chat GPT stuff. Apple has instructed us that they’re coaching their fashions on licensed knowledge, like photos, issues like that.

Some stuff from the open internet, publishers can refuse to take part. Like they will say their website isn’t crawlable by Apple stuff. they usually say that, Apple will, if someone modifications down the road, like what they wish to be accessible to their very own fashions, Apple will mirror that with additional updates.

So once more, it is opaque, however no less than 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 many 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 best way goes to be engaged on Max working 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 concerning the options individuals can anticipate you probably have an iPhone 14 Professional Mainly, you are sore out of luck.

You get some iOS 18 options, however not every 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 wish to say that the iPadOS issues that appear actually cool, all of the pencil options, the handwriting stuff.

So lots of the, Keynote or like in demos I’ve taken, some options can be like, that is ML energy, it is like Good Script, for instance, is powered by ML, but it surely’s not a part of Apple Intelligence. So you’re nonetheless going to get that in iPadOS, 18 while you improve, no matter whether or not you might have 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 Women Mathletes, however on an entire 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 notice 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, but it surely’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 considered look, we’re bringing this to the larger display. We would like it to be pencil pleasant. We would like it to be large display pleasant. Let’s actually take into consideration the structure right here. And that is explains why there’s been a delay. And I truly get it. there’s you’ll be able to 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 foreign money conversion, which I forgot to ask, like, how is it pulling the precise price? However no matter, after which you’ll be able to 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’ll be able to 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 when you use this materials. So one thing I noticed occur was such as you did Worth equals X, space equals Y, after which value instances space equals, and when you draw the world, it is like programming mainly, however all executed within the notes app.

And that is actually it blew my thoughts a bit 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 wish 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 wish 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 best way like you’ll be able to 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 that you must use a cellphone, an iPhone. With I 18 A Mac with Mac, Sequoia, you get nearly immediately. I have never seen projected, like the way it truly works in actual time, but it surely 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 property display you’ll be able to scroll between apps You possibly can your notifications like very well are reintegrated into the max notifications. That is enjoyable you possibly can play video games in your iphone and while you launch a sport, the window will go widescreen The audio appears to return by way of fairly rapidly simply looks like a extremely cool function as a result of At the least 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 identical to very extensible by way of like the way you’re interacting along with your {hardware}. The iPhone, by the best way, keep the display stays locked. So it would not seem like someone is rather like you are identical 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 case you mirrored your Mac within the Imaginative and prescient Professional, After which that Mac was additionally mirroring an iPhone. Would you truly have the ability to 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 possibly can 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 possibly can solely run one mirroring function at a time. So mainly you’ll be able to’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 potential. The Imaginative and prescient Professional is working an M. 2 chip. If iPhone mirroring works on M. 1 and M. 2 Macs, there isn’t any purpose why that is not going to be in Imaginative and prescient Professional ultimately. So I am kinda, I really feel like we half received that wager, mainly.

Cherlynn: I simply gotta say that Home windows and Android have been making an attempt to do that without end.

I can keep in mind like years in the past although, when the primary like Galaxy books strive to do that. That is no less than my earliest encounter with it. It really works. I have never seen this occur, but on the iPhone facet of issues, as in I have never personally taken a demo, so I could not let you know if it is truly higher or extra considerate. figuring out Apple, figuring out its deep integration prowess might be gonna work higher.

Devindra: most likely. Apple additionally offers superb demos, in order that’s one thing we have realized. do you might have 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 assume 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 you recognize what? The factor is, I hate this, however now persons are going to concentrate. As a result of what? now my associates truly are going to appreciate what Genmoji is meant to do, what you’ll be able to truly do by, feeding AI, generator.

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

Devindra: We ran out of time speaking to Apple individuals, however I did wish 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 additional 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’ve had Dali and different issues like create these AI photos, what do you do with them? submit it on social media? I do not know. Genmoji is simply if you wish to create an emoji based mostly on a particular feeling, you’ll be able to create a factor to your liking. Only a actually sensible use of that. That expertise, So anyway, I’m within the course of of putting in the, the iOS 18 developer beta on my cellphone. I feel in response to the foundations, you’ll be able to’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 will be fascinated 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 Japanese on our YouTube channel the place we’ve direct Q& A classes the place we are able to most likely reply your questions, in actual time. And I am fairly certain 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 dwell stream on Thursday. So we’ll be again of us. tell us what you concentrate on all this information, podcast@engadget.com. Thanks of us. We’re out.

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