Soundbyte 364 – June 2020

ChristopherNews, SoundByte

Welcome to Soundbyte! In this issue:

Next meeting: WWDC Live

Join LMUG next Monday, June 9 after Apple’s WWDC keynote presentation for our monthly meeting. Join us in Zoom from 5.45PM before the event starts and you can watch the keynote in another window from 6pm UK time. Switch back to Zoom after the keynote and we will discuss what happened. Apple says “The Keynote will be available to stream on apple.com, the Apple TV app, and the Apple YouTube channel.“

We will review the new products announced at WWDC, their impact and if we’re buying any of it. Come with your questions and we’ll try to answer them.

Check the email this newsletter came in for the Zoom link to the meeting. You can also find the link in our Slack Meetings Channel. 

You can now follow the London Mac User Group on Bluesky! Come and say hello 👋 over there 👉🏾 https://bsky.app/profile/lmug.bsky.social. Read more about it here.

Go home Apple? Google’s big Gemini updates

Android XR map via Google

Google have stunned with their latest Gemini AI (artificial intelligence) announcements. For most of us, perhaps the most exciting is the live translation and other features promised for Android Glasses seen in their demonstration. Unlike the heavy Apple Vision Pro and the similarly face-hugging Samsung alternative, it appears that a screen can appear in front of the right lens of glasses designed to look normal. This is a technological jump from the somewhat popular but audio-only Ray Ban Meta. The screen contains an interface to Android XR which includes Google’s Gemini AI. The AI can see and answer questions while Android presents some key apps like Maps and live translation (powered by the AI). Unfortunately, nothing is on sale yet, but there were real demos.

Next move Apple? The Android Glasses show that some sort of smart glasses with AI and screen is now possible, and this one is likely to have some unique abilities through being integrated into popular Google services like Gmail. Unfortunately we saw in April that Apple doesn’t have a similar AI. And perhaps Apple has a bigger strategic issue? Their successful wearables are AirPods and Apple Watch. Neither of these can provide an experience like smart glasses. So they have no AI and no device.

Maybe Apple could do what they did with the original iPhone and just integrate Gemini or ChatGPT directly into their own glasses with Vision OS? However, we have no idea of the price or limitations of those Android glasses. Maybe we should temper our enthusiasm till we have more detail?

In less exciting news, controversies continue with AI. Are we losing control of our likeness to corporate overlords so they can train AI to replace us without our consent? Sounds ridiculous or is this the thin edge of the wedge? Our Chairman fears the implications from this sort of thing for voice authentication, in cases like online banking.

Uh-oh. Jony Ive is working on an AI device

In more, perhaps questionable or ominous news, ex-Apple head designer Sir Jony Ive (and some other ex-Apple luminaries) have hoped onboard with Open AI (creator of Chat GPT) to make….a family of devices.

Soundbyte readers will know that all of the AI devices released in 2024 flopped. A key reason was that the AI on those devices wasn’t smart enough and didn’t have the private access to give true personalised assistance. This was the point of the improved personalised Siri that Apple hasn’t delivered. Will Open AI do any better? Perhaps it really depends on what sort device they imagine and make. There are few details in this vision statement below.

Sir Jony also gave a longer interview recently on design (not related to this announcement). Have a look:

AirTag on holiday? Learn about this feature

AirTag lost luggage feature

AirTag has gained a new skill! You can now share its location with your Airline. Perfect in the worst case scenario where your hold luggage goes missing. Read more on 9-to-5 Mac.

Have you used AI on a photo?

The latest iPhones have some AI photo features built in, but have you tried any yet? Many 3rd party AI photo functions are pricey paid extras, but Cult of Mac has looked at a more affordable option. Read about PicWish here.

But if you aren’t aware of what your new iPhone can do, have a look at this video below!

A feature film has been made with iPhone!

Image from 28 Years Later Movie (c) IGN
28 Years Later

We knew that iPhones were used by professionals, but now an array of iPhones have been used to make a major motion picture. A sequel to the 28 Days Later zombie movie, no less. Read more on IGN.

What is Freeform app for?

FreeForm

A while back, Apple released an exciting app called Freeform. Intended for group brainstorming it’s an infinite canvas to develop your colourful ideas on. But how exactly? Thankfully the lovely Griffin from Cult of Mac can show you how, have a look at his run down here.

E-Bike terror?

Last month we saw, maybe the best E-Bike in production. But where is the dividing line between a powerful E-Bike and an electric motorbike? If you live in London, you will know that with more efficient and powerful E-Bike motors on the market, the distinction gets smaller by the day.

The Police have noticed as have criminals. Some high power E-Bikes have become the weapon of choice for phone snatchers. Have a watch below of what’s going on.

Blurring the distinction even further, have a look at what goose for gander tool the London police are using to fight back against the criminal phone snatcher.