Hello Reader,

I hope 2024 has started well for you and you're not too impacted by the global events happening right now.

Fun fact: On February 4, 1997, Apple Computer bought Steve Jobs’ company NeXT for $427 million. Apple wanted to use NeXT’s OpenStep OS to make the new Mac operating system, which later became Mac OS X. Steve Jobs first helped Gil Amelio make a plan to restructure Apple. After that, Steve Jobs advised Apple’s board of directors to replace Gil Amelio and hire him as the temporary CEO. Later, they took away the “temporary” part and the rest is history.

Apple Vision Pro

In the previous Newsflash, I mentioned that some tech pundits were anticipating that the Apple Vision Pro could be shipping as early as end of January, beginning of February.

Well, on January 9, Apple announced that the Vision Pro would officially launch in the US on February 2, with pre-orders starting 2 weeks prior on January 19.

Since then, we've learned a few things:

1. It is available in three different storage options: 256GB, 512 GB and 1 TB
2. The battery supports up to 2 and a half hours of video playback
3. It comes with two head bands, a cover for the front and a polishing cloth
4. It's possible to switch the external battery but doing so requires a full reboot

At launch, the early adopters will be able to watch 150 3D movies and TV shows directly from the TV app, and more than 250 Apple Arcade games will be supported.

On the app front, Netflix, Spotify, and YouTube have announced that they will not offer a native Apple Vision Pro app. This implies that, at least for now, Safari will be the primary means to access these services from the headset.

Apple has hinted that the Apple Vision Pro will begin to be sold internationally later this year, without providing any specific dates or countries.

Without much surprise, Apple has released a bunch of videos including a guided tour:

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As I'm writing this, the first owners of this revolutionary Augmented/Virtual Reality headset have been able to kick its tire for a few days.

And here are some of the first reviews that I have found interesting:

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EU's Digital Markets act

In case you didn't know, Apple (and 5 other companies deemed as gatekeepers by the EU) will need to comply with the obligations set by the Digital Markets Act (DMA).

The DMA aims at regulating large tech companies to ensure fair competition in the digital marketplace. The DMA imposes specific obligations on these companies, including requirements for transparency, data sharing, and platform interoperability. The law also seeks to enhance user choice and data privacy.

In practice, it will oblige Apple to ship a customised version of iOS for iPhone owners in the EU.

Here are a few things that will happen in practice when iOS 17.4 will be officially released (most probably beginning of March):

1. The first time EU citizens open Safari, they will be presented with a choice of 12 alternative browsers, based on their popularity in their country's local App Store.
2. Alternative web browser vendors will no longer be obliged to use Apple's WebKit technology
3. Apps distributed through the official App Store will be allowed to offer alternative payment options.
4. It will be possible to download alternative app marketplaces where EU iPhone users will be able to download and purchase apps.
5. Apps distributed outside of the official App Store need to be scanned and signed by Apple to minimize the likelihood of malware, similar to the current practice on Mac.

Apple has published the complete list of changes here: https://developer.apple.com/support/dma-and-apps-in-the-eu/​

Personally, I don't think much will actually change, except maybe the ability to purchase books directly from the Kindle app or being able to play Xbox games, directly from an iPhone.

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Apple TV+

TV Series

The darkly comedic spy thriller "Slow Horses" has been renewed for a fifth season.

Classic shows "Snoopy" and "Fraggle Rock" have also made a comeback on the platform.

However, the musical comedy 'Schmigadoon' has been cancelled after its second season.

Production has resumed on the sci-fi thriller 'Severance', and the high-octane thriller 'Hijack', featuring Idris Elba, will return for a second season.

Awards

Apple has earned nine Screen Actors Guild nominations, including some for the popular show "Ted Lasso". The show was also honored at the first Creative Art Emmys ceremony.

In addition, the film "Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie" garnered four Emmy Awards.

Meanwhile, "Killers of the Flower Moon" won a Golden Globe award and is now available for streaming on Apple TV+.

Nominations

The shows "Slow Horses" and "Ted Lasso" have received nominations for the UK Casting Awards.

In addition, Apple has garnered 13 Academy Award nominations for the films "Killers of the Flower Moon" and "Napoleon,".

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Operating System Updates

January 22, 2024

All the security updates released on January 22 patch multiple vulnerabilities, including one in Safari that is currently being exploited by bad actors.

As a consequence, it's advised to apply the updates sooner rather than later.

As usual, make a backup before applying the update, and for Macs still running macOS 12 Monterey or macOS 13 Ventura, stay on that main version rather than upgrade to macOS 14 Sonoma.

iOS 17.3 and iPadOS 17.3:

Apple has released iOS 17.3 and iPadOS 17.3, bringing several new features and improvements. Among these are the re-addition of access to iTunes TV show and movie wishlists, a feature that was previously removed. The update also introduces stolen device protection, collaborative Apple Music playlists, and a new Black Unity wallpaper. Additionally, Apple Music Classical is expanding to CarPlay.

macOS Sonoma 14.3:

The latest macOS Sonoma 14.3 update brings several improvements to Apple Music and other features, along with bug fixes and security updates for Mac devices. Key enhancements in Apple Music include collaborative playlist functionality, where users can invite friends to join their playlist, allowing everyone to add, reorder, and remove songs. Additionally, users can now add emoji reactions to any track within a collaborative playlist. The update also introduces an AppleCare & Warranty feature in Settings, which displays coverage details for all devices associated with the user's Apple ID.

watchOS 10.3:

The watchOS 10.3 update incorporates a new Unity Bloom watch face in honor of Black History Month. Additionally, the update also brings unspecified enhancements and bug fixes, as per Apple's release notes.

tvOS 17.3:

This update for tvOS is primarily addressing bug fixes and small enhancements rather than introducing significant visible changes. The beta testing for tvOS 17.3 did not reveal any new features.

Older devices

Compatible iPhones received iOS 15.8.1 and iOS 16.7.5 while compatible iPads got iPadOS 15.8.1 and iPadOS 16.7.5

Macs running macOS Monterey and Ventura should install Safari 17.3, and their respective OS updates: macOS Monterey 12.7.3 and macOS Ventura 13.6.4.

Unfortunately, the latest macOS Monterey 12.7.3 hasn't fixed the Shortcuts bug on my 27-inch iMac while macOS 13.6.4 fixed it on my 14-inch Macbook Pro.

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Artificial Intelligence

Apple

Apple is making a significant push towards generative AI, with plans to introduce new Xcode tools and auto-summarizing features in its apps. These developments are expected to debut at the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC).

The company's commitment to AI is also evident in its recent startup acquisitions and job postings. This strategic move towards AI technology is expected to revolutionize Apple's product offerings and provide users with more advanced and intuitive features.

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OpenAI

OpenAI has finally launched an app store for GPTs, providing a new platform for AI applications.

In legal news, OpenAI is defending its use of copyrighted content to train its AI, ChatGPT, against a lawsuit from the NY Times, asserting that the claim is without merit.

OpenAI is also focusing on governance, announcing a team dedicated to integrating crowdsourced governance ideas into its models.

The CEO of OpenAI has expressed interest in establishing a network of semiconductor factories.

Lastly, OpenAI has teamed up with Common Sense Media to work on AI guidelines, demonstrating a commitment to ethical AI practices.

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Microsoft

Microsoft has introduced a new standard PC keyboard layout featuring a "Copilot" key. This key, dedicated to launching Microsoft's AI-powered assistant Copilot, will replace the right Control key on future Windows machines.

Microsoft has introduced a new premium service, Copilot Pro, which uses OpenAI technology to allow users to employ advanced generative AI models, GPT-4 and GPT-4 Turbo. The service, priced at €22 per month per user, offers priority and permanent access to these models and includes direct integrations with Microsoft's office suite for Microsoft 365 subscribers. Users can generate up to 100 images per day with Dall-E 3. The free Copilot service will continue to be available with its existing limitations. Copilot Pro's notable feature is its integration with Microsoft 365 applications like Word, PowerPoint, OneNote, and Outlook, with a beta version for Excel. A personal or family Microsoft 365 subscription, costing an extra €7 or €10 per month, is needed for this integration. Additionally, Copilot Pro users will have access to Copilot GPT Builder, a tool for creating models from their own data.

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Google

Gemini is a generative AI model family created by Google's DeepMind and Google Research, comprising three models: Gemini Ultra, Gemini Pro, and Gemini Nano. Unlike Google's LaMDA, a text-only language model, Gemini models are multimodal, capable of working with various media such as audio, images, videos, and different languages, although their understanding is still limited.

DeepMind, Google's AI research lab, has developed an AI system named AlphaGeometry that can solve complex geometry problems. The system, now open-sourced, has set a new record by solving 25 International Mathematical Olympiad geometry problems within the standard time limit, outperforming the previous record of 10. AlphaGeometry uses a combination of a neural language model and a symbolic deduction engine to logically reason through theorems. This achievement is seen as a significant step towards the development of more advanced and general AI systems.

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Other AI news

Canvas, an open-source client for DALL-E, is now available on Mac, allowing users to interact with the AI model. Meanwhile, Scribe is using AI to quickly transcribe YouTube videos on iPhone. In other AI-related news, BBEdit 15 has added support for ChatGPT. In the field of wearable technology, a new pair of connected glasses can translate speech in real-time, eliminating the need for an interpreter. Lastly, a trend is emerging among young people who are opting to use chatbots instead of seeking help from a psychologist.

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Macpreneur podcast

In January, I released 4 episodes thus ending season 3 and starting season 4:

• ​MP078: 3 Must-Know AI Trends for Solopreneurs in 2024​
• ​MP079: 3 Unexpected Reasons Apple Excels in AI​
• ​MP080: Save Time and Money with the Macpreneur Productivity System​
• ​MP081: Solopreneurs: Boost Lead Gen with these Powerful Automations

If you know solopreneurs who run their business on their Mac, I’d be super grateful if you could tell them about it.

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Have a great day!
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PS: May I ask you another favour? If you like this Newsflash, please forward it to someone you know who might like it too. Later on, he or she can subscribe to get it automatically by email via the following link: https://easyte.ch/newsflash-en​