Feed aggregator

Connections is the latest New York Times word game that's captured the public's attention. The game is all about finding the "common threads between words." And just like Wordle, Connections resets after midnight and each new set of words gets trickier and trickier—so we've served up some hints and tips to get you over the hurdle.

If you just want to be told today's puzzle, you can jump to the end of this article for June 11's Connections solution. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.

What is Connections?

The NYT's latest daily word game has become a social media hit. The Times credits associate puzzle editor Wyna Liu with helping to create the new word game and bringing it to the publications' Games section. Connections can be played on both web browsers and mobile devices and require players to group four words that share something in common.

Tweet may have been deleted

Each puzzle features 16 words and each grouping of words is split into four categories. These sets could comprise of anything from book titles, software, country names, etc. Even though multiple words will seem like they fit together, there's only one correct answer. If a player gets all four words in a set correct, those words are removed from the board. Guess wrong and it counts as a mistake—players get up to four mistakes until the game ends.

Tweet may have been deleted

Players can also rearrange and shuffle the board to make spotting connections easier. Additionally, each group is color-coded with yellow being the easiest, followed by green, blue, and purple. Like Wordle, you can share the results with your friends on social media.

Here's a hint for today's Connections categories

Want a hit about the categories without being told the categories? Then give these a try:

• Yellow: Words that rhyme with try

• Green: Bodybuilding slang

• Blue: Types of music

• Purple: Thermostat settings

Featured Video For You Connections: How to play and how to win Here are today's Connections categories

Need a little extra help? Today's connections fall into the following categories:

• Yellow: Homophones

• Green: Muscles, Informally

• Blue: Music Genres

• Purple: Settings on an Appliance Knob

Looking for Wordle today? Here's the answer to today's Wordle.

Ready for the answers? This is your last chance to turn back and solve today's puzzle before we reveal the solutions.

Drumroll, please!

The solution to Connections #366 is...

What is the answer to Connections today

• Homophones: BI, BUY, BY, BYE

• Muscles, Informally: AB, PEC, QUAD, TRI

• Music Genres: DUB, EMO, POP, TRAP

• Settings on an Appliance Knob: HI, LO, MED, OFF

Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be new Connections for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we'll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.

Is this not the Connections game you were looking for? Here are the hints and answers to yesterday's Connections.

Despite the mystique that has wrapped itself around Apple since Steve Jobs brought it back from the brink, this isn't a company that likes to be first to lucrative technologies like the tech world's latest darling, generative AI.

The mouse, the graphical user interface, the powerful laptop, the touchscreen tablet, the touchscreen phone, the augmented reality headset: lest we forget, Apple invented none of these things. What Apple has refused to do, so riskily that it nearly died but also so rewardingly that it became a trillion-dollar company, is chase after flash-in-the-pan popularity.

Rather, the company has spent five decades working obsessively on perfecting new technologies that others have developed. The goal isn't to delight Silicon Valley or Wall Street, at least not in the short term. The goal is to make products friendly, comforting, secure, and not at all scary to the average non-techie user — or at least, more friendly than they will find anywhere else.

And that's when you sit back and watch the profits / stock price boosts roll in.

Tweet may have been deleted

And so it was with Apple Intelligence — the name the company unveiled for its AI product at its WWDC keynote Monday. The name wasn't just corporate egotism or a slapdash rebrand. It, and Apple Intelligence's placement at the end of the keynote, was a signal that Apple intends to hold AI products at a distance on its users behalf.

Apple Intelligence will use as much contextual data as possible from within the safe walled garden of your Apple products to answer your questions. (This also means that the more Apple products you buy, the smarter your AI). If you need to know something more broad, Apple Intelligence will query ChatGPT for you, with neither Apple nor OpenAI receiving any data on the user asking the question.

(And no, despite what a clueless Elon Musk seems to think, this does not involve ChatGPT being baked into the OS itself; quite the opposite.)

SEE ALSO: Apple Intelligence only supports these devices: Is yours on the list?

This isn't what Wall Street wants to hear right now. Indeed, Apple stock ended the day ticking downwards, from the keynote onwards (whereas the tech-heavy NASDAQ rose slightly).

Apple doesn't care. While his rival CEOs trip over themselves to use the words AI as much as possible, Apple's Tim Cook — as we predicted he would — approached the topic with mild disdain and a focus on security.

This focus was so intense that journalists were invited to a second post-keynote event, starring CEO Tim Cook and Apple SVP/daddy Craig Federighi. (Cook bowed out early.)

Cook seemed to bristle at the notion that the company is slow to implement its AI strategy. "We've been using artificial intelligence and machine learning for years," he said in his prerecorded Apple Intelligence introduction — literally his first mention in a keynote of AI. He added that to further the goal of "taking the Apple product experience to new heights ... it has to be built with privacy from the ground up."

"AI for the rest of us," is the slogan Federighi used to wrap up his summary of Apple Intelligence features. Translation: generative AI products from the other guys is too complicated, too plain wrong. Non-Apple Intelligence doesn't care about you, your data, your security, your privacy. There's no filter on it; it can spew out poisonous nonsense (literally poisonous, in the case of glue pizza). This is safe, easy and effective AI for the masses.

Sam Altman, a supplicant at Apple's altar OpenAI CEO Sam Altman at Apple HQ, reacting to Apple veteran Eddy Cue. Credit: Justin Sullivan / Getty Images

Another sign of Apple's disdain for the way AI has been handled so far: the fact that Sam Altman, OpenAI's CEO, was in attendance but did not appear on stage or in the pre-recorded video.

A little speech from him, or even just a Cook-Altman handshake, would likely have improved Apple's stock performance. Especially given how much Wall Street loves AI companies in general, and OpenAI in particular.

Likewise, Apple Intelligence is a pretty big deal for Altman. Its use of ChatGPT, even at this remove, is something of a boost for a brand that has begun to flag, especially in the wake of the Scarlett Johansson scandal.

SEE ALSO: What OpenAI's Scarlett Johansson drama tells us about the future of AI

Altman isn't exactly shy when it comes to media attention; you've got to figure he wanted on that stage at least as badly as the Ubisoft CEO who got his moment of glory in the keynote.

But Apple kept the OpenAI CEO at one remove. However that shook out, the result was was subtle but brilliant semiotics: Altman beat a path to Apple's door, but he sat there mute with the other VIPs as Tim Cook's company effectively compartmentalized his exciting, scary, often wrong product.

Apple Intelligence indeed.

Apple made a long-awaited AI announcement at WWDC Monday, introducing Apple Intelligence. The tech giant's endeavor into generative AI has a huge focus on privacy, running on "private cloud compute" so that user data isn't stored or made public to Apple.

Apple Intelligence doesn't have an official release date, but will come in beta with the iOS 18 and macOS Sequoia updates this fall to select devices.

Devices that will support Apple Intelligence include:

• iPhone 15 Pro

• iPhone 15 Pro Max

• iPad Air M1 and later

• iPad Pro M1 and later

• MacBook Air M1 and later

• MacBook Pro M1 and later

• iMac M1 and later

• Mac mini M1 and later

• Mac Studio M1 Max and later

• Mac Pro M2 Ultra

You'll be able to create AI images and emoji with Apple Intelligence. Credit: Screenshot: Apple

New AI features will enhance Siri and existing Apple tools across products. Apple Intelligence will be able to understand an individual user's "personal context" — so you could ask Siri if you have lunch plans and it'll crawl your messages and understand the language used to determine if you made lunch plans with someone, for example. This applies to language, images, and actions. You'll also be able to receive notifications based on context, which could summarize messages you missed while the group chat was blowing up.

In addition to learning your context, Apple Intelligence will include features such as writing tools and enhancements, image generation with "Genmoji," updates to Siri's AI abilities, and ChatGPT integration.

Apple and Google are getting up close and personal with user data to craft memos, summarize documents and generate images.

At the June 10, 2024 Apple WWDC presentation, the brand revealed its latest software including iOS 18, as we speculated. While hardware updates only affect users gearing up for the new devices, most Apple users will see the benefits of the latest integrations and updates. But which iPhones are getting the iOS 18 update?

iOS 18 brings significant redesigns to the iPhone control center, as well as updates to the Messages and Photo apps. But later this year, Apple is bringing its own brand of AI called Apple Intelligence. Not to mention, ChatGPT is coming to Siri.

Here's what we know so far.

SEE ALSO: Everything announced at WWDC 2024, from iOS 18 to Apple Intelligence iPhones getting the iOS 18 treatment

The current software, iOS 17, supports iPhone XRs or newer, so we venture to assume that the update will cover the same models:

• iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max

• iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus, iPhone 14 Pro, iPhone 14 Pro Max

• iPhone 13, iPhone 13 Plus, iPhone 13 Pro, iPhone 13 Pro Max

• iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Plus, iPhone 12 Pro, iPhone 12 Pro Max

• iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, iPhone 11 Pro Max

• iPhone SE (2nd and 3rd generation)

• iPhone XR, iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max

We do know only iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max phones will be able to utilize Apple's AI systems, so those looking to try it out will need to upgrade their device.

Opens in a new window Credit: Apple iPhone 15 Pro at Apple
Shop Now What to know about iOS 18

Before the announcement at Apple WWDC, we anticipated iOS 18 would bring heavy changes compared to other software updates. The updates to iOS affect the most frequently used apps like Messages and Photos.

Your apps can match your wallpaper with iOS 18. Credit: Apple

With iOS 18, you can customize your phone to the highest degree. Apps can be adjusted around the screen to frame your wallpaper, and you can adjust the color and tint of your apps for a more cohesive look. If you're sick of accidentally turning on the flashlight because of its place on your lock screen, you can swap it out for other options including Snapchat — even though we're not sure why you'd need such quick access to it.

Plus you can now lock and hide apps on your phone, which may or may not result in the end of a few relationships.

Never forget to send a message again. Credit: Apple

Messages is getting an upgrade, too. Your favorite tapbacks are getting redesigned, but now you'll be able to react to a message with any emoji. Get vocal in your messages by using bold, italic, and strikethrough text and never forget to send a birthday text again with scheduled sends.

iOS 18 organizes your photos for you. Credit: Apple

According to Apple, Photos is getting its largest redesign yet with a new single scroll photo grid. There are ways to filter your entire library, removing screenshots from cluttering your screen. Plus, it will recognize groups of people and your pets for better collections.

When does iOS 18 come out?

During the June 10, Apple WWDC event, the fruit company debuted a lot of new features in thorough detail but provided no date for when iOS 18 will be rolled out. Vaguely, they mentioned iOS debuting this summer with some features to be rolled out later in fall.

Shop iPhones with the iOS update

If you're giddy over the new developments coming to iOS 18 but your phone isn't covered, it's time for an upgrade. While we don't know all of the models that support iOS 18, we do know that the iPhone 15 Pro will, as its action button is becoming customizable.

Opens in a new window Credit: Apple iPhone 15 Pro at Apple
Shop Now

Apple's WWDC 2024 event on June 10 finally focused on the operating system glow-ups that'll sit behind the screens of most Macs released in the past few years.

MacOS 15, officially dubbed MacOS Sequoia, doesn't have an official release date yet, but typical timelines from the developer conference in years past point to beta availability across the summer leading up to official release in September or October 2024. Similarly, Apple hasn't yet released details on the specific Mac devices that will support MacOS Sequoia. But that doesn't mean we can't speculate.

SEE ALSO: Everything announced at WWDC 2024, from iOS 18 to Apple Intelligence

Firstly, any Macs with the M1 chip or higher are almost guaranteed to be safe. Past that, we can unpack lists of supported Macs from the past two MacOS launches to get an idea of the devices Apple may be cutting off.

The Mac operating system update unveiled at WWDC in June 2023, MacOS Sonoma, works on MacBook Pros and Airs from from 2018 or later, iMacs, Mac Minis, and Mac Pros from 2019 or later, Mac Studios from 2022 or later, and the 2017 iMac Pro. The most notable missing models between this list and that of 2022's MacOS Ventura supported devices are 2017 MacBook Pros and Airs — meaning that 2018 MacBook Pros and Airs, as well as the 2017 iMac Pro, are the most likely devices on the chopping block for Sequoia.

If you're in the market for a new Mac device ahead of MacOS Sequoia's release, here are all of the Macs that Apple has dropped in 2023 and 2024 (so far) that you can find on sale:

MacBook Air

• 2023 MacBook Air (M3, 8GB RAM, 512GB SSD) — $1,199 $1,299 at Amazon (save $100)

• 2023 MacBook Air (M3, 8GB RAM, 512GB SSD) — $1,199 $1,299 at Best Buy (save $100)

• 2024 15-inch MacBook Air (M3, 8GB RAM, 512GB SSD) — $1,404 $1,499 at Amazon (save $95)

• 2023 15-inch MacBook Air (M2, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD) — $1,599 $1,899 at Best Buy (save $300)

MacBook Pro

• 2023 14.2-inch MacBook Pro (M3, 8GB RAM, 512GB SSD) — $1,449 $1,599 at Amazon (save $150)

Mac

• Mac mini (M2, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD) — $499 $599 at Best Buy (save $100)

• Mac mini (M2, 8GB RAM, 512GB SSD) — $699 $799 at Best Buy (save $100)

Whether you're still rocking the Touch Bar on your 2020 Pro or gave into the M3 MacBook Pro hype, MacOS Sequoia will likely be at your fingertips come fall. Enjoy clutch iPhone mirroring (and phone control) directly from your desktop or laptop, tiled apps, a more streamlined (and less distracting) Safari experience, serious new gaming options, and Apple's new in-house password manager.

Credit: Apple

Of course, Apple isn't immune to the pull of AI (that's Apple Intelligence to you), as MacOS Sequoia has also been sprinkled with magic machine learning dust from ChatGPT to enhanced Siri commands.

At its annual WWDC keynote today, Apple introduced its version of AI, "Apple Intelligence." It'll power everything from emoji creation to new writing tools that can help you perfect your prose.

According to Apple, these new tools will be available system-wide "nearly everywhere you write," including Mail, Notes, and third-party apps. Here's how Apple Intelligence plans to strengthen and simplify your writing.

SEE ALSO: Everything announced at WWDC 2024, from iOS 18 to Apple Intelligence 1. Rewrite Credit: Apple

Rewrite will generate alternate versions of what you've already written, so you can choose one that better fits your writing style or tone.

According to a preview of the feature shared at WWDC 2024, Rewrite will appear as a small blue button whenever text is selected. Click that button, and you'll see options to make your writing more "friendly," "professional," or "concise." You can also tell Rewrite exactly how you'd like your words rewritten, with prompts like "write this as a poem."

2. Proofread and Summarize Credit: Apple

Grammarly has been hugely popular as a proofreading tool, but now help with grammar, word choice, and sentence structure will be available for free across iOS.

Using Apple Intelligence, Proofread will provide suggested edits with explanations. For longer writing, use Summarize to pull out key points for your own review or to create a TL;DR for recipients. This tool also works in your inbox, where you can summarize long emails to see the essential points of each message.

3. Smart Reply  Credit: Apple

Apple's Smart Reply isn't new, but upgrades made possible by Apple Intelligence promise to make it even more accurate. Available only in Apple Mail, new Smart Reply options will now consider more context when reading your email and delivering more relevant suggestions.

Just last month, Google finally rolled out its suite of AI photo editing tools in Google Photos to iPhone users.

At WWDC 2024, Apple announced that a few of those AI photo features – including the popular Magic Eraser tool – are now going to be directly built into iOS 18.

Clean Up tool

Apple's version of Magic Eraser is called Clean Up and works pretty much the same way as Google's tool.

Tweet may have been deleted

A user simply has to open up the Photos app, go to a picture, and then circle or highlight a person or object that's unwanted in the photo with the Clean Up tool. Apple's eraser tool will remove the element in the photo and make the edit unnoticeable via AI. It'll look like that person or object was never in the photo to begin with.

Natural language search

Another big AI media feature coming to the Photos app that was announced at WWDC 2024 is natural language search. This tool is really going to make it easier to find specific pictures and videos in an age where we photograph and film everything. 

Credit: Apple

Basically, natural language search allows users to search for a specific photo or video by typing exactly what they're looking for in their natural language.

SEE ALSO: WWDC 2024: Genmoji lets you create your own emojis with 'Apple Intelligence'

No need to type in awkward keywords and hoping that the media turns up based on its file name, tag, or even text that was found within the photo. If a user is searching for that picture of their child catching fireflies in a field, they can type out exactly that and Apple's AI will find photos and even videos depicting their kid catching fireflies in a field. This won't just come in handy for parents looking for old family photos but also for filmmakers, photographers, and other creatives looking for specific shots or takes.

Apple announced quite a few AI-related features coming in the latest iOS 18 update. However, these photo and video related ones seem like the ones with the most everyday utility and ones we are particularly looking forward to.

Your iPhone might be getting a bunch of AI features soon. Let's talk about them.

At its WWDC 2024 keynote, Apple did what we expected and spent a ton of time talking about "Apple Intelligence," the new batch of AI features coming to its devices. It was a blazing-fast presentation that focused more on high-level "check out this cool thing AI can do!" sales pitches than in-depth looks at how everything works, so it's hard to say how well they work right now.

But these features are all coming to iOS 18 later this year, like it or not. You will need an iPhone 15 Pro or newer to use them, though. Anyway, here are five big AI features coming to iPhones this year.

SEE ALSO: Everything announced at WWDC 2024, from iOS 18 to Apple Intelligence Prioritize notifications will organize your feed AI will put the most important notifications first. Credit: Apple

One of the AI features Apple showed off that will probably be pretty popular is prioritized notifications. Apple said your iPhone will know to put the "most important" notifications at the top of your feed and will even include short summaries of stacked notifications as you scroll.

Apple, of course, didn't really say what "most important" means or how your iPhone will decide what is most important. We'll all find out together later this year, I suppose.

Rewrite, proofread, and summarize text will help you write emails This is on MacOS, but it's available on iOS, too. Credit: Apple

If you're the kind of person who finds it really difficult and stressful to write emails, Apple Intelligence purports to help. With the new AI, you'll be able to highlight an email you've written and choose a different tone to better fit the situation. It'll also spruce up your grammar and suggest better word choices.

You'll also be able to select a batch of text and ask the AI to summarize it for you, either as a paragraph, bulleted list, or table.

AI image generation will create custom images to send to friends and family Image Playground as seen on an iPad. Credit: Apple

This is a big one, for better or worse.

Apple Intelligence will let you generate custom images using text prompts and other tools as part of an all-encompassing new app called Image Playground. These features are also built into Messages. You can choose from three styles (animation, illustration, or sketch), use text to add details, and even add elements from your photo library.

The images Apple showed during its presentation looked like AI images, so you likely won't fool anyone if you send these to your friends.

Automatic audio transcription will transcribe and summarize Voice Notes and call recordings This is big. Credit: Apple

Apple is finally catching up to something Google introduced before COVID-19 existed: automatic audio transcription. Whether you record something via Voice Notes or on the Phone app (oh, by the way, you can record phone calls now), you can get an auto-generated transcription and text summary of what was said.

Genmoji will entertain your parents What about the humans who already make emoji? Credit: Apple

Finally, on iOS 18, you'll be able to use text prompts to generate your own emoji. Appropriately called "Genmoji," these can be used exactly like regular emoji, as in-line text emoticons, or as Tapback responses to text messages. You can even create Genmoji based on photos of real people.

Apple revealed its all-new Genmoji feature at WWDC 2024, allowing users to create emojis using Apple Intelligence (AI). That's right; you can now generate a unique emoji by simply describing the emoji you want via Apple AI — and even use images of friends.

Apple already has thousands of emojis available and continuously brings new additions in annual updates. With Genmoji, however, you don't have to wait around to send off the right emoji.

SEE ALSO: Everything announced at WWDC 2024, from iOS 18 to Apple Intelligence Create new emojis with Genmoji

Through Apple Intelligence, users can create Genmojis (Generative + Emoji) on their iPhone, iPad, and Mac just by bringing up the AI prompt and keyboard. By simply providing a description, you'll see a unique Genmoji appear that's ready to be sent off in the Messages app and more.

Credit: Apple

As per Apple's example, you can write "Smiley relaxing wearing cucumbers," and the Genmoji will be created. What's more, there will be more options for the same description to pick from, giving users plenty of choice to select the emoji they're keen on.

It aims to give users a specific way to describe how they feel, get excited about an occasion, or "complain about the rowdy squirrel right outside your window." Yes, it can be that specific.

Since Apple Intelligence is aware of the people in your library, you can also pick someone and generate a Genmoji based on them. Want to turn your friend into a secret agent emoji? You now can.

Credit: Apple

Genmoji can also be used to react to messages in a chat, placed inline in your messages, and as stickers. Essentially, they act like custom-made emojis that can be generated in seconds.

Genmoji isn't the only Apple AI trick announced, as WWDC 2024 also showed a bunch of iOS 18, iPadOS 18 — and even Safari updates with Apple Intelligence tools.

Apple Watch users have long asked for the ability to pause their activity rings without losing their hard-won streak, and Apple finally delivered.

The company announced Monday at its Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) that Watch users who need rest or recovery because of illness or injury will be able to pause their activity rings for a day, week, month, or more.

SEE ALSO: Everything announced at WWDC 2024, from iOS 18 to Apple Intelligence

Prior to this feature, there was no simple way for users to opt-out of activity goal without manually decreasing it, or losing their streak if they stopped activity altogether. Apple rewards activity streaks with digital notifications and badges.

The new feature is part of watchOS 11, which is expected to launch later this year.

The update also includes the new Vitals app, which will notify users when two or more key health metrics, including heart and respiratory rate, indicate they're unwell or under physiological stress. Presumably, that insight will help users decide on whether to pause their rings.

The developer beta of iOS 18 was announced at WWDC 2024, and it is available for any iPhone user to download.

As reported last year, developer betas previously required membership to Apple's Developer Program at a cost of $99/year, but beginning with iOS 17, the developer beta became open to the public for free.

SEE ALSO: iOS 18 gets a significant redesign: Dark Look, Control Center, and more announced at WWDC

At WWDC, a sleet of updates within iOS 18 was announced, including significant design changes, new ways to customize the Control Center, and updates to privacy features, including the addition of a lock on apps.

If you want to be one of the first to download the beta and explore its new features, there's a few things to know. First: the developer beta will likely be buggy, so there could be some issues once downloaded and before final tweaks are made – it's a riskier download than a public beta or full release. Because of this, make sure to back up your iPhone to be on the safe side, so you can revert back to the iOS update if needed. Lastly, make sure your phone is updated to hold the latest version of iOS 17.

Now that you're ready, here's how to do it.

How to install the iOS 18 developer beta Total Time

• 5 minutes.

What You Need

• iPhone.

Step 1: Head to the Apple Developer website

Go to developer.apple.com, and click on the icon at the top left. Scroll to the bottom of the drop-down menu and click Account.

Step 2: Sign in with your Apple ID

You will be sent a two-factor authentication code to your device. Once you complete this step, go back to Account.

Step 3: Agree to the Apple Developer terms

Back in the Account tab, you'll be shown a legal agreement to complete the download. Check at the confirmation box at the bottom of the terms and click submit.

Step 4: Go to Software Update and find iOS18

Head to your Settings tab, where you then open General > Software Update. There will be a tab for Beta Updates, which will display "iOS 18 Developer Beta". Select this from the list.

Credit: Screenshot / Apple.

Step 5: Download iOS 18 Beta

Back on Software Update, iOS 18 Developer Beta will be displayed on the screen. Click "Update Now" or "Update Tonight" and you're good to go.

Credit: Screenshot / Apple.

If you sneezed during Apple's WWDC 2024 keynote, you might have missed what was arguably the biggest announcement of the day: AI-enhanced call recordings on iPhone, right there on your default Phone app.

Apple software engineering lead Craig Federighi squeezed the announcement of call recordings into a section on the numerous enhancements rolling out with the release of Apple Intelligence on the upcoming iOS 18. Just after mentioning AI-powered transcriptions and summaries in the Notes app, he sped through this announcement in under 30 words.

SEE ALSO: Apple officially bringing ChatGPT to Siri, iOS 18, iPad OS, and macOS Sequoia

But here are the details.

AI-powered call recordings on iPhone

The option to record will soon be available on the live call screen alongside familiar buttons like "End" and "Mute."

When the user starts recording, the other party or parties on the line will be notified. Naturally you'll still need to follow local laws and norms around consent, meaning you'll need to ask permission, but the promised mandatory disclosure will help smooth over the ethics involved.

It's not totally clear yet whether this notification — or indeed the whole recording feature — will only work when talking to other iPhone users (or even users with iOS 18 only) — or if it will be available across all phone types.

The recording itself appears to be accessible after the call on your Notes app. Transcripts and transcript summaries appear to work exactly like any other Notes app recordings in this upcoming iOS release.

Transcription software companies like Otter.ai are most likely feeling some pressure after this announcement.

MacOS 15, now officially known as Sequoia, is on its way to Mac users this fall.

Apple announced the new software and name at WWDC 2024 — and revealed that for the first time, Apple is letting you access your iPhone from your desktop.

Let's dive in with that major new features:

MacOS 15 has iPhone mirroring

"With iPhone mirroring on Mac, I can see what's on my iPhone and can control it too," Apple dad and senior VP Craig Federighi enthused.

He demonstrated that you can simply click on an icon in your dock, and an iPhone screen appears on your Mac desktop. All apps on your iPhone will be accessible from this screen — while your iPhone itself remains securely locked.

With this Continuity feature, you can even answer iPhone app notifications from your Mac; good news for those of us who are always leaving our phones on the other side of the room.

Best of all, you can drag and drop files between your Mac and the mirrored iPhone.

SEE ALSO: Everything announced at WWDC 2024, from iOS 18 to Apple Intelligence MacOS 15 can tile your windows

Got too many apps open on your Mac desktop? Need to see them all as you work? MacOS Sequoia will now automatically tile them — a function that formerly required third-party tools.

Drag a window to the edge of your screen and it will suggest a placement, Federighi revealed.

MacOS 15 improves FaceTime and Passwords

FaceTime gets an update in Sequoia too, with more backgrounds that look more realistic — using what Federighi called "Apple's industry-leading segmentation" technology.

The software also includes a new app called Passwords, Apple's challenge to services like LastPass and Okta. Previously, passwords were stored in a keychain. And there are updates to the Safari browser (which gets a "Highlights" page summary feature) and the Mail app, for those die-hard Mac users who like them.

All the "Apple Intelligence" features announced will be available in MacOS 15, albeit in a beta version, as of this fall.

While other big tech companies have aggressively tried to add artificial intelligence into products, the iPhone maker has taken a more cautious approach.

Once upon a time, Siri kind of felt like artificial intelligence. Apple brought that feeling full-circle with a slew of AI enhancements to the voice assistant at WWDC.

During Apple's largely software-focused keynote on Monday, the company revealed a number of new things that Siri can do as part of the new "Apple Intelligence" initiative. Broadly speaking, Siri now has the capability to do specific actions within specific apps using voice commands in ways it couldn't before, theoretically thanks to AI. Like everything else with Apple Intelligence, you need an iPhone 15 Pro (or newer), or an iPad or MacBook with at least an M1 chip inside of it.

SEE ALSO: Everything announced at WWDC 2024, from iOS 18 to Apple Intelligence WWDC 2024: New Siri features announced Credit: Photo

Apple's presentation was fast and furious, with very little time spent on any of these individual updates.

The big updates to Siri include:

• If you make a mistake mid-command and immediately correct yourself, Siri will recognize the correction

• Conversational context, meaning Siri will remember what you've previously asked about during a conversation and incorporate that into responses

• Describe a device feature you don't know the name of and Siri will bring it to you

• On-screen awareness, so it can do things like add an address that's on your screen to someone's contact card

• Automatic photo enhancement using commands like "make this photo pop"

• Share a summary of your meeting notes in an email

• "Personal context," meaning Siri knows details about you that are stored in text messages, notes, etc.

• If Siri believes ChatGPT can answer a prompt better than Siri can, it will ask if you want to use ChatGPT instead

Again, Apple's presentation was extremely cursory, so we don't have detailed specifics on how all of these features work just yet. But AI is coming to Siri, whether you like it or not.

Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max $1,399.99 at Best Buy
Get Deal

Apple and OpenAI have officially joined forces. After months of reports that all but confirmed the deal, the tech giant and the AI disruptor announced their partnership at WWDC on Monday.

As predicted from Apple insiders, OpenAI is bringing ChatGPT integration to Siri and its operating systems. With the Siri update, ChatGPT is integrated with different apps and features like Messages, Mail, and Compose. Examples include using compose to write a bedtime stories, or generating an image for the story. ChatGPT will be accessible for free, and chat and request information will not be logged. The ChatGPT integration is part of Apple Intelligence, its collection of AI technologies that are privacy-minded.

When ChatGPT is used, Apple will request permission from the user before sharing anything off device. ChatGPT will be coming to iOS 18, iPad OS 18, and MacOS Sequoia later this year.

The collaboration with OpenAI, whose models are the technical benchmark for the AI industry, is a strong strategic move for Apple as it competes with Google and Samsung. For OpenAI, the partnership puts its AI models directly in the hands of hundreds of millions of iPhone users.

This story is developing...

Apple's WWDC has been full of big announcements this year, with AI taking center stage.

iPadOS 18 was one of the key updates unveiled, and there are plenty of big new features on the horizon — from a big Apple Pencil-assisted update to Notes to a brand new (and very advanced) Calculator app.

SEE ALSO: Apple announces new Safari with Highlights and 'distraction-free' Reader sidebar

We've broken them down below.

Apple Intelligence Credit: Apple

This was the big one, and it's going to have major ramifications across all Apple devices. Apple Intelligence is Apple's newly announced AI, which will power a newly revamped (and more natural sounding) Siri, new writing tools (allowing you to rewrite and proofread text), and let you create original images and animations that can be tailored to your specific contacts.

Apple Intelligence also goes hand in hand with some of the other new features outlined below, like Math Notes and Smartscript (more on those in a moment).

During WWDC, Apple spent a lot of time talking about AI in relation to privacy in a clear attempt to distance itself from competitors. "Powerful intelligence goes hand in hand with powerful privacy," said senior vice president of software engineering Craig Federighi, citing Apple Intelligence's ability to be aware of personal data without collecting it via on-device processing and "Private Cloud Compute".

Apple Calculator app, but make it advanced Credit: Apple

iPhones have long been able to churn out sums for us, but their larger cousins have always been lacking in this area. iPadOS 18 puts paid to this by welcoming the Calculator app — in a big way. The Apple Calculator app on an iPad will utilise the Apple Pencil in combination with a new feature called "Math Notes" — essentially turning your iPad into an interactive blackboard with Apple Intelligence-assisted results that update live.

SEE ALSO: iOS 18 gets a significant redesign: Dark Look, Control Center, and more announced at WWDC

Math Notes isn't just a gimmick, either. The WWDC demonstration showed off some big capabilities, including the solving of physics problems that include variables. Impressive!

All of this integrates with Notes, too, which brings us nicely to the next iPadOS 18 feature...

'Smartscript' in Notes Credit: Apple

Notes is getting a big upgrade, with iPadOS 18 taking advantage of the Apple Pencil – and Apple Intelligence – to bring us something called Smartscript. This new feature uses machine learning to allow you to scribble out your work in a stylised version of your own handwriting. You can also paste text into Notes and watch it appear in your own handwriting, and scribble stuff out to erase it.

Screen sharing in Shareplay

Shareplay is getting a big update, with iPadOS 18 bringing the ability to screen share. While you're sharing screens with someone you can use the Pencil to tap and draw, showing them live what to do on their screen. If things get too tricky, you can also ask for permission to control their iPad remotely.

Home screen personalization

Customisation seems to be a pretty big buzzword at WWDC this year, and the iPad will be no exception. Like the iPhone, iPadOS 18 will allow you to shuffle around your apps to your heart's content, rearranging them in a way that really makes that Home Screen image pop.

A new floating tab bar will also make it easier to navigate. The bar morphs into a side bar, and you can customize it keep your favorites nearby.

A revamped Control Centre

Yep, it's coming to iPadOS 18 too. iOS 18's new Control Centre is highly customizable, and you can access your various groups with a single continuous swipe. Developers can include controls from their apps as well.

Photos app redesign

The Photos app is getting a fresh new look on iPadOS 18. In a demonstration, we were shown the main photo grid up top, with the Library view below. There will be the option to filter images (you can filter out screenshots, for instance), and Collections allows you to organise your most valuable pictures. You can further customize this section by pinning collections, while a quick swipe right brings you to a Favorite section.

This story is developing...

2022 Apple 11-inch iPad Pro (Wi-Fi, 128GB) - Silver (4th Generation) $749.00 at Amazon
$799.00 Save $50.00 Get Deal

Apple has been gearing up for a major AI-related announcement at WWDC on Monday, which has finally been delivered. The tech giant announced Apple Intelligence, its new deeply-integrated foray into generative AI.

The company announced the development and integration of the new AI offering, also underscoring how privacy and safety sits at the core of its new functions. Apple Intelligence will be "grounded in your personal context", CEO Tim Cook remarked at the event, adding, "It’s personal intelligence, and it’s the next big step for Apple."

SEE ALSO: Everything announced at WWDC 2024, from iOS 18 to Apple Intelligence

Apple Intelligence will be available across Apple products.

What capabilities does Apple Intelligence have?

Apple Intelligence is bringing tons of new AI features through its system, which they say will enhance Siri and existing tools on Apple products. With Apple Intelligence's LLM model, an Apple user's "personal context" will be understood, applying to language, images, and action taken on products like the iPhone or iPad. Some major capabilities announced include:

• Notifications based on context

• Writing tools and enhancements

• Image generation with "Genmoji"

• Updates to Siri's AI abilities

These new features include AI-generated images called "Genmoji" in Messages and apps, brand-new writing tools, an enhanced way to view your email, and the ability to "orchestrate" actions more seamlessly with the use of commands. Apple employees describe these tools as "truly helpful intelligence."

SEE ALSO: WWDC 2024: Apple announces new Safari with Highlights and 'distraction-free' Reader sidebar

When it comes to writing, for example, a new "Rewrite" feature can suggest edits for you work, while "Proofread" will look out for grammar. Rewrite will also adjust your writing based on tone, and you can ask how you'd like something to be written, even commanding writing tools to help put together a poem.

Other aspects, such as Mail, will be uplifted to include summaries for emails, and will read through your inbox to see what emails are a priority, like a boarding pass for a flight on the same day.

Apple also announced "a new era" for Siri; the company said that's this feature will have awareness of "personal context", and be able to peruse and bring up more detailed and concise information. Siri will be able to take action across apps, schedule messages, and will also hold "on-screen awareness" so information is up-to-date.

How does privacy work?

As much as the words "personal context" were repeated during the unveiling of Apple Intelligence, so were the mentions of privacy. The company said that this new generative AI system is rooted in safety, and marks "a brand new standard for privacy and AI".

Apple Intelligence will run on "private cloud compute," so that your data is never stored or made public to Apple.

This story is developing and will be updated...

Apple's Cycle Tracking app will soon indicate the gestational age of a user's pregnancy, according to an announcement made during the company's WWDC 2024 presentation.

SEE ALSO: Everything announced at WWDC 2024, from iOS 18 to Apple Intelligence

Gestational age is a term that describes how far a pregnancy is, based on the first day of a woman's last period. Currently, app users can input their pregnancy into the app, which tracks menstrual cycles but does not show gestational age.

The Health app will also prompt pregnant users to review important wellness metrics, including their high heart rate notification threshold. Heart rate typically increases during pregnancy.

The changes will take effect with iOS 18, which is expected to launch in September.